“Tara Moments”

Written By: Krista Skiffington

“Now to Him who is able to do

immeasurably more than all we

ask or imagine, according to His

power that is at work within us.”

-Ephesians 3:20

A few weeks ago, God reminded us once again of His immeasurable power and grace — in a story that began with two women and a couch.

Since joining the team at Lighthouse Housing Alliance, I’ve seen numerous examples of his Hand at work in this organization. From praying for resources in a season of deep need to receiving them almost immediately and in abundance, to the divine timing of my own hiring, to this very moment I’m about to share with you…we’ve seen God’s provision again and again. I can tell you from experience that his work consistently exceeds what we could ever plan or imagine - if only we have the eyes to see it.

On Monday, October 6th, we had scheduled an appointment with a client to move two couches to her temporary apartment: an 8-foot couch, and a 6-foot loveseat. In a beautifuI act of kindness and community, the couch had been donated to Maribel by a woman named Danyell from a local church. I’d recruited two friends - Trevor and Jose (pictured) - as volunteers to provide the muscle and the trucks. While these men thought they were just helping move furniture, what they didn’t realize was that they were stepping into the role of a Care Circle — coming around a local family with practical help, encouragement, and presence.

Our two amazing volunteers maneuvered the love seat up the stairs and through the narrow hallway of the apartment with relative ease. But the 8-foot couch was another story. After over an hour of pushing, pivoting, removing its wooden feet, and attempting every possible angle, the feat was deemed impossible. We’d have to find a new home for this couch. 

I called AnnaMaria and told her the news. “I’ll look around and see if anyone else is interested,” she told me. “In the meantime, can you find a place to keep it overnight?” So Trevor and Jose loaded it back into the truck bed, and we hauled it into my garage. At this point, it was past my bedtime and I was all “couched out”. We knew it couldn’t stay in the garage forever, and we were uncertain as to where it would go next.

The next morning, AnnaMaria called. “I found a lead for the couch on Facebook!” she said. “Her name is Tara, and funny enough, we went to elementary school together.” We were both relieved to have found a new home for the couch and grateful to have done so with so little effort.

Our workday then began at Lighthouse. We had a specific plan for how the rest of the day would go, but then God quickly showed us His plan. Mere seconds after completing our daily prayer routine, asking God to go before us and work in the details, Tara called.

“I have a truck I can use to move the couch on Saturday,” she explained. She then began to open her heart to us, sharing the incredible details of her life story. Tara had endured years of unimaginable hardship — violence, abuse, and grief after losing a father figure she was close to. Yet, recently, there had been hopeful movement in her life. She and her husband had found a new apartment in Arlington Heights and were now looking for a couch to make it feel like home.

Tara continued, “I strayed from God for a long time, but recently I’ve been re-inviting Him into my life. I see Him working in so many ways. The day [my father figure] died was the same day we signed our lease for the apartment. I like to think he was our guardian angel during the process. And now, this couch!”

Between her need for the couch, our need to find a home for the couch, and AnnaMaria seeing the post, it became clear to all of us: the timing had to be God’s.

In that moment, we were reminded that God works behind the scenes in ways far beyond what we can orchestrate on our own strength. While we were struggling to force a couch through a doorway on our own, He was orchestrating a perfect scenario: both Tara and our client Maribel received a comfortable place to rest. Lighthouse is His instrument, showing that His power at work through us can accomplish immeasurably more than we could ask, plan, or imagine. Truly, He is at work in the details of every life He touches.

Now, our team has coined the phrase “Tara Moment” — a moment that could only have been orchestrated by our great God. And I trust there are many more Tara Moments still to come here at Lighthouse.