Perspective: What Happens When Believing Is Seeing
Living with Little, Trusting with Much
We had been married less than a year when God taught us one of the greatest lessons of our lives. With no warning or logical explanation from his employer, Merl lost his job just a couple of months after we were married. At the same time, I was in the throes of a 15-year season of full-time caregiving for my grandmother, grandfather, and sister. We were both jobless.
We owned very little—just a bed, a table, and a sofa—in our third-floor, two-bedroom apartment we had recently moved into. The second bedroom was designated as my husband’s office and music studio. There was just one problem: there was no desk in his office, and we couldn’t afford to buy one.
One evening, we were quietly sitting at the kitchen table after finishing dinner when, out of nowhere, I blurted out, “Let’s go find your desk.” As soon as I said it, we got up, pushed in our chairs, and headed down the back porch stairs without saying a single word to each other. We walked with no particular destination in mind. After a few blocks, we stopped at a crossroad in an alley. I looked at my husband and simply asked, “Which way?” He chose, and we continued walking in silence.
Provision Waiting in an Unexpected Place
As we made our way down the familiar alley behind our previous apartment building, we noticed a moving truck parked at the back entrance. Two men were leaning against it. As we got closer, we saw a rectangular box resting against the brick wall with a white piece of paper taped to it that read: Free, Free, Free.
When we approached the box—while the men continued to stand there watching us—we noticed what was printed on the manufacturer’s packaging: Desk. We looked at each other in absolute shock. Then we looked at the men and asked if the box belonged to them. They said no. We opened the box, and to our utter amazement, inside was a new glass and metal desk.
We picked up that box, carried it home together, and you’d better believe we still have that desk. It is a constant reminder that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1) Before we saw the desk with our natural eyes, faith had already declared its existence and led us to it.
Blessed are those who believe without seeing.
John 20:29
The Currency of Heaven
We are grateful that our marriage began with God teaching us the opposite of the old adage, seeing is believing. He revealed to us—through a literal walk of faith—that believing is seeing. This has become our go-to story to share with anyone who has ears to hear and eyes to see the signs and wonders that come through an active faith in God.
Life doesn’t always flow this way, but there are numerous times when it absolutely does—because our provision ultimately comes from God, and it does not always come in the form of money. Every perfect gift that we have been given—from our breath to our eternal inheritance and everything in between—comes from God. The currency of heaven is simply faith in the God who is able.
Takeaways for the Walk of Faith
Faith often begins as a quiet nudge—an invitation to move before we understand and to trust before we see. These truths reflect a God who guides our steps, meets our specific needs with care, and opens our spiritual eyes to recognize His provision long before it is revealed.
Faith simply takes the first step, trusting that God will guide the rest of them.
We walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7
God’s provision arrives with holy precision—never late, never wasted, always enough.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
Faith sees with our spiritual eyes before the natural eyes behold its manifestation.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1
Meet Ibelisse Sánchez
Ibelisse Sánchez, known to most as Mimi, is a social worker, writer and artist born in Brooklyn, New York, who carries with her the roots of her Puerto Rican heritage. Raised by her grandparents, who first introduced her to the Christian faith, Ibelisse learned early the beauty of art, compassion, and devotion. Her grandfather, an expressionist painter, awakened her love for creativity, while her grandmother’s heart of hospitality taught her the meaning of serving with love.
For fifteen years, Ibelisse had the sacred privilege of caring for her grandparents at home through Alzheimer’s and chronic illness. That season—both hard and holy—taught her to listen for the Lord’s still, small voice and deepened her compassion for the lonely, weary, and suffering.
She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a Master of Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Chicago. Grounded in her unwavering faith in Jesus, Ibelisse spent nearly a decade as a licensed social worker supporting incarcerated individuals in their journey toward healing and reintegration and is now helping those living with a disability obtain the freedom of mobility within their community.
Whether through words, art, or presence, Ibelisse longs to share hope and leave traces of God’s love, truth, and comfort wherever she is sent. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Merl, a musician and producer. She is grateful for the opportunity to share pieces of her journey, praying that it inspires others to walk more intimately with Jesus and to be awed by the glorious beauty He reveals through their own stories.
Where to find her . . .
- Website
- Mimi’s Musings (monthly newsletter)
Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.
If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.
