Yesterday, in our teachers’ meeting, our principal shared a testimony of God’s miraculous provision of a fully furnished, absolutely perfect apartment for her family when they were missionaries in Spain. It reminded me of our Spanish apartment story. Just as miraculous – because God is a great God – but with an unexpected twist.

Toledo, Spain – one of the oldest cities in that beautiful country.

It was May 2006, and we had just landed in Madrid. My kids were 7, 5, and almost 3. We were staying with another missionary family as we searched for a piso (apartment) that would house our family and give us an office from which to work.

I was praying very specifically for this piso – I wanted it to be near a good school for the kids, to be close to a park, to have space for all of us…But most of all, I was praying the community would have a pool. Madrid can get very hot, and few apartments have air conditioning. So, I thought it would be so wonderfully refreshing to have access to a community pool.

Great view from our living room window. But no pool.

We looked and looked and looked, but found no complexes with a pool available to us (being foreigners, it was harder to find a landlord willing to rent to us). When we finally found a place that checked almost all the boxes – a lovely 4/2, 1000 sq. ft piso on the fifth floor of a nice complex on the outskirts of town, near parks and a bilingual school – it did not have a pool.

I was slightly disappointed. But it was such a nice place that the disappointment was quickly replaced by excitement over finally moving in and starting our new adventure in Madrid.

Within a couple weeks, I discovered why God had prevented us from finding a complex with a pool: Topless bathing. Over there, women will go topless, not just at beaches, but at public pools and, you guessed it, community pools, as well. It’s totally acceptable there, and folks don’t think anything of it. Had we been given access to a community pool, I would have had three kids begging to swim every day.

Ellie and Thomas in the kitchen

And, frankly, there are some sights I did not want those little eyes seeing. Call me a crazy conservative American, but there it is. So I would have been constantly frustrated, as would my kids. During – and even for a time after – the piso search, I didn’t understand why God would refuse what seemed a reasonable request. First world problems, I know. But still.

What God taught me through that is to remember He knows SO MUCH more than I do. I should have already learned that lesson, true. But I forget sometimes. He was working for our good, even though, at first, I couldn’t see that.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28