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Yikes. It hit me just today that several weeks ago I said I would do a regular Friday post – or try to. But ever since we moved our house, life seems to be busier, and even more difficult, to some degree. For example, we’ve been digging new water, propane, and drainage ditches, and trying to get them filled back in before any rain hardens the clay in the upturned soil. I actually wish I had not said I would keep up with this blog. Not that I don’t want to! But every week on the same day? *Sigh* Really?
Learning to shut my mouth from broadcasting personal goals and wishes is something I have not perfected yet. Why I don’t know, because by now I should have a bad case of “foot-in-mouth disease.” :-o Even with this property – every time I start to feel good about any progress here, and/or give a good report, it seems like something comes up that slows things down – or even more extreme – makes us change course. Which happened recently. One of the big goals this summer was to build a pole barn garage, and the site was partially prepared. But an expert in the field of permaculture toured our property recently and shed new light on this “go big or go home” plan. He encouraged slowing down on big ideas, learning to “abide” here first, and most important of all – spending more quality time listening to, and respectfully nurturing all the trees and plants all around us, so that we can be faithful stewards of what has already been given us.
This was good wisdom. It reminds me of something Jesus said concerning the issue of faithfulness in “small” things:
Whoever can be trusted with very little, can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little, will also be dishonest with much. Likewise if you are not trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true, eternal riches? And if you are not trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? ~ Luke 16:10-12
And also, about how I can be more impeccable (i.e. without sin) in my words:
Do not swear oaths by heaven, by earth, or by any other object. Instead, let your “Yes” mean yes and your “No” mean no! Otherwise, you may fall under condemnation. ~ James 5:12
Come on now, you who declare, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town, stay there a year, conduct business, and make profit.” You do not know what tomorrow will bring, or what your life will be like. Is it not like a mist that is seen for a little while, and then quickly disappears? Instead your attitude should be, “If Father pleases so, we will do this and that.” But as it is, you boast in both your ignorance and arrogance, and all such boasting is evil. ~ James 4:13-16
As I’ve been thinking about these things lately, it has been interesting that we have a couple of friends on the other side of the nation who are also doing a similar “Back to Eden” work on their property, and we enjoy comparing notes with them via email. But suddenly a parent of theirs is in hospice, and they are finding many of their plans put on hold for the more important work of love – which also leads to wisdom. Which sometimes even changes the courses of life itself!
In fact, love is the one thing that ought to guide, adjust, and motivate everything we do or don’t do. For the love of God, I may or may not work like a dog. For the love of others, I may or may not bother – with the things that are of lesser importance, that is. It is love – not some personal wish dream – that gives a meaningful purpose to our lives.
So trying to exercise more common sense – and walk more in love – I hope not to open my mouth too much or too often anymore about things that may, or may not be. Instead, to talk and focus more on the things that come from abiding in the most reliable “dream” of all – the moment of right now.
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A Time for Everything
3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil?
Love seeing your Eden and hearing from you “whenever the time is right”… for you ! Sending my LOVE to You and Vinny
Helen, that’s a great passage. Replacing “time” for “moment” makes eternal sense, doesn’t it? Time may last many moments, but a moment is temporary. It will give way, eventually, to another moment.
And I like how you ended it at verse 9. One who toils may have EVERYTHING they toil for uprooted. So the point? Live in the moment. Love God and others in the moment. And receive His love, in the moment.
TODAY is the day to hear God’s voice and live. Not tomorrow.
thanks I too am struggling with the concept, I needed this. xo
Thank YOU for the simplicity of your expression. xoxo
The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9 NASB)
Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand. (Proverbs 19:21 NASB)
We haven’t quite gotten to hospice here yet – in fact, Dad is fighting back – mentally at least. Considering that the Lord gave me 2 dreams and a visitation to inform me that Dad’s time was short, I’m in a state of shock. We’d cleared out his room to make way for a hospital bed so he could come home for hospice. With the turn around, I’m asking “why” a lot – questioning my faith – questioning my dreams and what I heard from the Spirit.
And I’ve come to a fearful conclusion; the turn around dual purpose, to cause me to be honest with my Dad about the prospect of him coming home and resuming the life we had which I do not want, and to cause Dad to be honest with God and himself about what he really wants – expressed in so many ways over the last 14 years since mom died. He has always said he wants to go be with mom, yet for some reason, fights to remain here.
This is the 2nd or 3rd such “monkey wrench” thrown into our grand plans for a Back to Eden garden … the first my heart attack in April when only 1/3rd of the garden had been laid out. It caused me to greatly scale back my plans, from a 3000sf garden to 1000sf and to plant just a few of each of the 70 some seeds we bought to see “what would grow here”. Of course, that proved providential – the slowing me down and reining me in because Dad fell ill in June – about the time I had recovered my strength after the heart surgery (stent).
At the same time Dad fell ill (kidney failure and possibly a TIA), KK developed a medical condition that requires surgery – and poor Tigger (cat) developed hyperthyroid problems. So if I’m not running to the hospital or nursing home to see Dad, it’s been taking KK to the doctor to prepare for surgery, or taking the cat to the vet.
Honestly, I’m glad we didn’t put in all the garden this spring. And the Lord has cut my work down from all day every day to a few afternoons a week. I think our human / cultural expectation of working all day long 5 days a week or every day as is becoming more common, differs from God’s intent that our work and play be balanced each and every day. Do a little, rest a little, be joyful.
In fact, it was in the midst of this that the Lord was showing me about Adam and Eve … that while being in the garden and tasked by God to be Eden’s caretaker, they did their work while being in the 7th Day – Sabbath – perpetually. So work and rest are synonymous in God’s Creation. Where ever did we get the idea that work and rest are NOT the same – we can only rest when the work is done – which in itself is a trap of sorts because there is NEVER an end to the work. If we hammer away at it until it’s done, we’ll never find rest. So I’m learning to be content to work a few hours and then take a breather. Strangely, I’m not getting any less done on our home than before – or perhaps it’s giving me a different perspective of what needs done – teaching me in some cases to live (abide) with something rather than see it as unfinished / in need of work.
This might interest you concerning the rest I believe God wants for us: https://thesonsarefree.com/2017/02/09/sabbath-unrest/
Love to you and Vinny!
Jack
Wow, Jack, so much is an inspiration here, as it is there.
” I think our human / cultural expectation of working all day long 5 days a week or every day as is becoming more common, differs from God’s intent that our work and play be balanced each and every day. Do a little, rest a little, be joyful.”
“Rejoice always.” Even in work? Love this. Thankfulness and positive thoughts can in other words transform work into pleasure.
Especial since lately I’ve been more in the mindset “work, then relax.” A real misnomer to His original intent. Although a great principle if there is something to get done that my heart isn’t in. :-/
But why isn’t it in it?
The rest of what you wrote is very insightful, too, for those who want to go deeper into the original Eden story and glean practical insights.
One of the reasons why I am thankful for you!
May Peace and strength fill you and Karen, in all you are going through right now.
As always, Pamela