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I was walking along, minding my
own business, when it happened. Two Autumns ago, during my early
morning driveway walk, I had my two partners: my gun (because of lions,
tigers and bears) and my Walkman. The day in question, I happened to be
listening to a Jonathan Lindvall tape
~ nothing unusual there, I often listen to a tape or music on my walks.
I like to listen to something on the second lap so I can hear something
besides my own loud breathing. It is a golden opportunity to listen to my choice of music at my choice of decibel, which at almost all other times are outvoted by the rest of the family. But I digress.
On said tape, Mr. Lindvall was discussing how he and his wife felt led
to get completely out of debt , to include having no mortgage, and went
on to discuss their method of achieving exactly that. Upon the first
listen, I smugly dismissed the idea as super-spiritual, unnecessary,
and not a possibility anyway, thank-you-very-much. We had just moved to
this farm that spring, and had gutted, remodeled and added on to this
house to make it just what we wanted. This house and farm were, for all
intents and purposes at the time, my dream.
Enter the Holy Spirit. After several days of being either too lazy or
too hurried (I will not disclose which), to get a new tape on my way
out the door , I was stuck listening to said tape for about two weeks
in a row. As I listened and argued with the tape day after day, the
Holy Spirit nudged. Mr. Visionary was working five very long days at
the time, and in truth, we never saw him. Saturdays were spent doing
farm work from sunup until after dark, and Sundays were spent on church
and naps (to help make up for the other six days), hence weekends were
gone in a blink. I wanted my husband back, and we all wanted our family
back. I was beginning to see that the mortgage had to go.
In the meantime, the Lord was also revealing to us a new dream ~ that
of being able to have enough land to give to our children to help start
them off better than we were started. Since our current farm is only
fifteen acres, this dream would involve having a much larger chunk of
property. And moving. I tried to remind the Holy Spirit that I had
previously, proudly and loudly announced that I would not move from
this house unless the Lord called us on the mission field. He replied
with a question, "Did you get that from ME, or was that your big idea?"
My wanting it to be the Lord's idea didn't count. It never does.
Providentially, the housing market in our area has skyrocketed. Our
house is now worth twice what we paid for it three years ago, which is
good news and bad news. We can sell it, and make enough to buy property
debt-free...but not around here. We will need to move across the
country to find land inexpensive enough, unless the Lord intervenes. We
are praying for an opportunity to find land in our same state, as Mr.
Visionary is an only child of aging parents, and my family has just
this summer migrated back to the same state for the first time in
fifteen years (and who knew cousins could be so much fun!).
So, we're working toward getting our house finished (with a schedule
like ours was, there was never time to finish all the remodeling), and
putting it on the market this Summer, and saying goodbye to a mortgage
forever. What happens next is in His hands. It is our goal...our dream,
if you will. But the real goal is to always listen and obey what the
Lord's will is for us. Speak, Lord, for your servants heareth...
Use the Walkman if necessary.
*I don't expect to agree with every detail of
everyone to whom I listen. Use the Grocery Store Approach to Jonathan
Lindvall, take what you can use, leave the rest. I don't necessarily
condone everything he ever says, but I don't discount it outright,
either. Remember the Bereans SEARCHED the Scriptures DAILY. We should
as well.
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