When we first decided to go on this journey to homesteading, we just wanted to get started. We wanted to stop talking about it and do it. So, when we first purchased our land we knew that we had made a big leap in progress! We went from talking the talk to walking the walk!
The Desire
There is absolutely nothing wrong with walking the walk, but doing so doesn’t mean you get to always be in a sprint. We have lofty dreams and goals, so once we tasted that first win (acquiring land), we were ready to move on to the next steps. We were ready to build, move, and get this homesteading life underway on our own land.
I mean we have had some pretty good success so far. We were able to work around our easement problem, resolve our cement culvert issue, and gain access to our land. We were able to get on the property, cut down a few pathways, and keep the grass mowed in front of our barn area. However, with the taste of a little progress, comes the desire for more of it.
Sitting and Waiting
Unfortunately, sometimes the desire does not always line up with the actual time line and there lies the rub. We as people play scenarios out in our minds how things should go, but sometimes our plans may not line up with Yahweh’s plans and that is a problem. In Proverbs 19:21, it says, “There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel – that will stand” (NKJV). In other words, the Lord’s plans for our lives take priority over our own. The want to move at the speed of a cheetah instead of the slowness of a snail almost seems to be how most people function now-a-days. We want what we want, when we want it, but then I have to refer back to Proverbs 19:21.
Yes, we have made quite a bit of progress, but there is still yet a ways to go. We have what seems like pieces to the puzzle, but not all of them to put it together and that is the most frustrating part. Sitting and waiting is not a popular thing to do. No one likes to sit and wait, but sometimes progress in the eyes of the Lord is for us to do nothing.
Reality Check
Doing nothing is a pretty tough pill to swallow at times, but Deidra and I had a reality check this past week. Throughout all of our frustrations, we have failed to MAKE SURE that the plans we have fall in line with the plans of God.
In times like this I am reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NKJV):
(1) A time for every purpose under heaven: (2) A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; (3) A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; (4) A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; (5) A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; (6) A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; (7) A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; (8) A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
We are all people and as we know, people are not perfect. We learn from our falls, dust ourselves off, and keep moving. Our mistake was pressing on without continuously checking our plans against the Master’s plans. Now, we just have to keep the Father at the forefront, let the Holy Spirit be our guide, and allow Christ to continue interceding on our behalf. In His time, we will be provided with what we need.
Be blessed folks!