“As a child, I grew up in a loving Christian home, where believing in Jesus and wanting to follow him was normal. The challenge for me, though, throughout my adult life, has been to learn contentment. In our first 15 years of marriage, we moved 17 times. Steve has always worked hard to provide for our family and has mostly run his own business, which has come with its own challenges and stress. There have been times of abundance, but also times of need and loss.

“When I was pregnant with our first child, we had to sell our first home. That was hard, especially when our daughter was born dangerously unwell and wasn’t expected to live after being oxygen-deprived for 40 minutes. She did live, and is now a school teacher, but it was a hard time, and I learned about what really matters in life.

“Then, with our two young daughters and a newborn son, we made a tree change to country Victoria. We bought a block of land and Steve built us a house and we even had a surprise fourth child. But things were difficult on lots of levels and we had to sell our house again, the house that Steve had so lovingly built for us.

“We arrived back in Sydney and we struggled to find a rental property that we could call home. We kept moving, from one rental property to another. The leases would run out and we would pack up and move again. It’s been hard for both of us, especially trying not to compare ourselves to our friends who have investment properties and holiday homes and interior designers. But I’ve been learning about being thankful and not holding on to things too tightly. I’ve learned, over and over again, that my true home is in heaven. And on earth, my home is where my family is, and it’s good as long as we’re together.

“At the moment, we’re thankful for our rental home that we’ve lived in for nine years. We’ve laughed and loved and cried here together. We’re also owner building again. We started the process six years ago and it’s been full of challenges. Although it’s exciting, it’s also frightening for me. My mind races through all the what-ifs. What if it burns down? What if Steve’s health declines? What it we can’t afford to finish it?

“I have to remember the biggest thing … that God is God and I can trust him every day. Whatever happens, he will still be God, my God. And I can trust God that he will lead me, just like he led Abraham in Genesis 24 when he sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac. The servant prayed and asked for direction and then he bowed down and worshipped the Lord. ‘I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right road … ‘ (Genesis 24:48-49).

“That’s how I want to pray, too, asking God which way to turn. I need to keep looking to Jesus, not at other people, or what they have. I want to keep my focus on Jesus and point to him, in everything.”

Kayte’s story is part of Eternity’s Faith Stories series, compiled by Naomi Reed. Click here for more Faith Stories.