Thursday, July 26, 2007

From the past to the present…stepping out in faith…. (Pt.4)

Last time I told a part of my story, I ended it with this phrase...."God was wooing me to country life!" And now it was time to step out in faith. It seems to me that too often Christians sit back waiting for God to do something, change something, fix something....but we forget that our involvement is important also. Oft times God wants to work something in us as change is brought about in our lives...this requires our participation...it may even require action on our part!

After much study, much prayer and months of contemplation it was obvious it was time to take a step of faith. So, in the fall of 1998, we loaded up the van, took Grandma with us and headed north. I had done quite a bit of research on the internet looking for a house with land. Mom and Dad were going to pool resources with us (Dad really didn't have a choice - he was declining with Alzheimer's Disease and Mom knew she would need our help) and we planned a move as a family. We had no idea where we would end up but we took a vacation so that we could start looking at places in Georgia and on into Tennessee. This was the "action" part. Would it have been possible for God to drop a farm in our lap without any effort on our part...absolutely! Would it have been likely? Not!

We interspersed our farm seeking with stops more oriented to the 4 boys in the car (parks, aquariums, etc.) so as not to have a mutiny! We saw a lot of beautiful (and not so beautiful) homes. It is amazing to me how the picture of the lovely home in the hollow actually looked like an abandoned dump in person! We moved on to Tennessee. We saw several places in east TN that were wonderful but when we found this farm it just felt like home. I could see my children living here, see my Mom's home built on that hill over there, saw the animals in the barns and fields. It was where God wanted to bring us. God reminded me of this verse:
Deuteronomy 8:7 "For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; 9 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you."

So, we took a step of faith. And we did it all backwards according to the "wisdom of the world"! We made an offer on the farm and after several counters back and forth, our offer was accepted! But, we had a house to sell in Florida and a job to find in TN! We headed home from our 10 days on the road, unloaded the van and stuck a for sale by owner sign in the yard. That afternoon the phone rang. I was in the middle of unpacking from the trip and doing a mountain of laundry (2 adults, 3 kids and a new baby...all boys....who had been touring farms for 10 days...ya'll undertand I'm sure!). Someone wanted to come and see our home! I, of course, said no as I looked at the mess around me...just like any normal mama in my situation. I offered the next day as a possibility of seeing our home. No...they were flying out the next morning...they begged...pleaded! They said they had been taking one last trip through our neighborhood and saw the new sign in our yard - they said they would pay cash....and I thought "rrriiiigghhttt"!

So I asked for a few hours to get the unpacked stuff repacked and tucked away and they agreed to come around dinner. In the mean time, there was another call - they also wanted to see it and I made an appointment for them just before the other folks. I then decided to yank the sign out of the yard until I could get life returned to something that resembled normal.

The first couple came, looked, smiled and left. The second couple (who made the first call) came, looked, looked and looked some more. They left to "talk about it". I never thought we would hear from them again. But they called back, made an offer at full price, intended to pay cash and wanted to close in two weeks. Oh...and by the way..."we won't need it till the first of the year so no hurry on ya'll getting out".

Now, doesn't that have the hand-print of God all over it? Of course, finding a job in TN was a piece of cake...by that time I knew it would be...after all, God was ordering our footsteps! We began the long process of cleaning out, holding garage sales, giving things away and packing. This was a challenge in the middle of the school year (so thankful we were homeschooling!) and with a new baby, a five year old, an 8 year old and a 15 year old. My 15 year old was my saving grace! He did so much with his brothers (playing, feeding, bathing, rocking!) which freed me to do the packing and organizing! Our goal was to leave in January and head for TN. With the help of family, church and friends we made our goal!

We arrived at the farm in January of 1999. We spent several weeks, cleaning and unpacking. It was quite amazing to me that we had visitors from town (20 miles away) drop in to say hi...and they knew all about us! Kinda scary for a big city girl!

We acquired our first "animals" that spring...thousands of bees! We had a very small garden that summer, 12 feet by 12 feet! We didn't get much to eat but learned a lot. We began to add other animals; goats, calves for beef, and a milk cow over the next year. We expanded our garden to ten 3 1/2 x 33 foot raised beds. Truly we took on too much too fast. It was overwhelming...

Along with trying to learn about animals and gardens and all of the "outdoor" things..I was also learning to can, make jam and jelly (I remembered doing it with Grandma but had never tried it myself) grind wheat, cook everything from scratch and increase my knowledge of herbs now that I had the room to grow the herbs myself (how to harvest, when to harvest, planting instructions etc.!). And, of course, homeschooling was continuing...often based around what we were learning on the farm.

Although this time was wonderful in so many ways, especially for my boys, it exacerbated problems that had existed in my husband's life, and in our marriage, for a very long time. The next years would be the hardest in my life....I would need to draw closer to God than I ever dreamed....

7 comments:

  1. Did you check out any houses in Rabun Co., GA? Clayton, Dillard, Rabun Gap, Tiger? Near the 3 lakes; Rabun, Seed or Burton?

    This is where we ended up, intending to move on after a few years and here we are 11 years later!

    :o) Teresa

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  2. I enjoyed reading your heart-felt story. At times, God's fingerprints are ever so clear, aren't they? We are moving toward becoming self-sufficient. There is slight trepidation for me when it comes to a few things - mainly animals. However, God is a mighty God and my husband grew up on a farm. Thanks for sharing. Reading it was comforting for me.
    Paula

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  3. Thanks for the latest installment. Wanted to give a "testomonial". Feel free to share it on your sight. My darling hubby pulled his shoulder really badly last night while play wrestling with Jman. He asked for some of the "aches away" which I generously applied. About thirty minutes later he said out of the blue, "Man that stuff really works wonders!" Thanks so much for creating and sharing such wonderful products.

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  4. Thanks for sharing your story~~~it's very inspirational.

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  5. Theresa,
    Truthfully, it has been so long, I don't remember where we looked!
    Blessings!

    Paula,
    I also shared your feelings. I had never dealth with anything larger than a poodle! but God has overcome that in my life - and so many other things :) Still working on spiders though!
    Blessings!

    Mary Ellen,
    So happy it helped Tim! Thanks for the testimonial!
    Love to all!

    Patrice,
    Thanks so much!
    Blessings!

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  6. I have enjoyed reading your stories. They have been encouraging. About a year ago we decided that this was not the way God intented for us to live, so we thought moving was what we should do first. We looked and looked. Our place right now consists of a small house and two and a half acres. We never could find something we thought was the place God wanted us to be, see our home is paid for. I feel like the Lord is telling me this is home for now and this is where he wants us to be for now. So--we have built barns and own nubian goats for all of our dairy needs, chickens for meat and eggs, rabbits and two turkeys(and all have produced us with offsprings). We raised fruit and vegetables from our garden, even though we are having the worst drought I can remember. But all of this has been done through God. I have learned so much but I know I have a long ways to go. This drought even though it has been hard, I believe it was a learning experience. I feel like God has told me if you can't make it on two and a half acres, how can you make it on more. So, I am looking to God and working as hard as I can. I am so proud of all we have accomplished and I know that it was God who showed us the way. See all I have learned I learned from stories like yours and God telling me this is what I should do. So don't stop writing. Keep it up. THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!

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  7. Tnfarmgirl,
    I am enjoying reading your blog. This story espcecially has touched me. I lived in TN a few yrs but I never got it quite 'right'. I do feel that it is where I am suppose to be & will return one day. Your faith is so strong that I am humbled by it.
    Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your lives up there in God's country.
    J

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