From Gentle Nudges to Answered Prayers
by PCJH attender Pamela Konstant

“God’s Gentle Nudges Begin

I had a great job with the State. I was in an amazing location that I loved. I was making a positive impact to my community and I could stay there for another 15 years perfectly content. In 2017, my daughter, Iris, was heading to a semester abroad at a London university. It was a great opportunity for me to show her my favorite spots from when I lived in Europe. It was a side of me she had not really seen before. So, off we went. I was overwhelmed when we arrived in France that I was back in Europe. I had promised myself and God that I would return, but I had forgotten that vow in the years that passed. To my astonishment, I was greeted by locals in France and Belgium who told me I spoke beautiful French. I thought they must be crazy since it had been so very long since I used the language. This was my first nudge.

I shared my favorite spots and memories with Iris. We eventually made our way to my old house in Wavre, Belgium where I lived when I served on the church planting team. Interestingly, that house was for sale. My daughter immediately told me “Mom, you need to move back!” This stopped me in my tracks and I thought that I had, indeed, said I would move back someday. But I had a daughter in college and it wasn’t the time. My daughter continued to campaign throughout the rest of the trip pointing out houses and saying how she could see me living in that house.

Back home, I was driving Uber in addition to my State job to pay my daughter’s tuition bill. I started having people in my car that, when they heard I was fluent in French, asked me what I was doing here, in Wyoming. That was a very good question and, I’m afraid, I didn’t have a good answer.

Then came a conversation about retirement with my Dutch supervisor. When I mentioned going someplace cheap like Thailand or Singapore, she responded that she felt I needed to “go where it feels like home.” Well, for me, that is French speaking Europe. Looking back, I can see I was slowly getting nudged closer and closer to heading back…”

Read the rest of the post, and more, here on Pamela’s blog, Pamela’s Journeys!