"A man makes his own plans, but the Lord directs his steps."
We started off on our journey with a destination in mind (Tennessee), and sites that we wanted to see along the way. Fun was on the menu, and we for sure wanted to do all those things that homeschooling families should do when they are on the road. Even in the planning, though, there was a very real sense that these plans could change-- you know, that feeling you get when you know something isn't going to work out exactly the way that you think. Beyond having fun, our real desire and hope, deep down, was (and is) to follow the Lord's leading, and to let Him orchestrate the details of our trip. We have always dreamed of serving others as a family, from place to place. We thought, 'Perhaps this could be a "faith trip", where we pray about where to go, He tells us, and we go!' But, how does one explain this concept to others, muchless oneself? Did we dare talk about the "non-plan plan" with people, for fear that they would think us irresponsible or careless? We already have friends who think we are the poster children for "winging it", which might be true to some extent. :) A well laid-out plan seemed to be just the thing we needed to quell our own curiosities and the concern of family members.
That said, our recent decision to change course wasn't a complete surprise, to us. We didn't plan what ended up transpiring, but we did suspect something of it's nature would occur. ;)
Here's what happened:
After leaving our 1st stop in Manteca, CA, the next stop in our exodus was the Safe Haven farm in Orosi, about 2.5 hours from Manteca. This is the place we have camped at for Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles in the Fall) every year for about 3 years; so we were excited to see familiar faces that we camped with last fall. We thought that we might spend a couple of nights there, and head to Nevada afterward.
The Barnes are wonderful people. They have an amazing 10 acre property and large vegetable garden, two greenhouses, vineyard, chickens, and cows. They also have a program for 16-25 year olds called Growing in Torah (GIT) in which young people who are interested in farming can come for 6 months to their home and help with the work. Part of it is also a discipleship program, where they have regular time in the Word together and praise and worship. A lot of people say that after the 6 months of being here they come back changed.
We ate with them, talked with them, fellowshipped with their Sabbath group, and our kids played on the playground, held baby chicks, and ran around their acreage.
From the 1st day that we were there, the Barnes made it clear that they would love for us to stay as long as we would like or need. They have been shorthanded this year at the farm, and asked if we would consider joining them helping out in the GIT program, also sharing with us that the farm reeeeeally needed a Farm Manager. Their oldest daughter is also getting married in 6 weeks, so we could see that this is a very stressful and busy time for them.
Though we loved being there, it was a struggle to come to a decision. We might have "written our plans in pencil"....but it was very dark pencil, so it was harder to "erase". We might have thought we had faith before, but it's one thing to believe something in your head, and another thing to act it out. We had to grapple with questions like, "Do we truly believe that Abba will provide all of our needs if we stayed here? Do we trust that He will work out the details (finances) for us to continue on our road trip after our time here was done?" -or- "Will we be okay if we never do get back on the road but end up staying here past 6 weeks?"
I hated feeling like either way, I'd regret our decision. Like I'd regret staying because we'd be "missing out" on our planned adventures, or that I'd regret leaving because we would be abandoning our friends in their time of need. The Torah says that if your brother asks for help, and you have the ability to help them, you should give it. Yeshua also says, "Give to those who ask of you, and do not withhold from your brother."
We remembered these scriptures, along with our original desire for wanting to go on the trip, (wanting to serve as a family) and suddenly "fun" was redefined. We also remembered how in the past we have pushed our plan stubbornly (both individually and as a couple) and the inevitable trials that have followed because of not following His direction. So, after a lot of talking, going back and forth, we have decided to stay, for 6 weeks (or more, depending).
Such peace and joy descended in our hearts when we said "Yes" to Abba....that we would go wherever He wants us to and that our lives belong to Him and to His service. Only one of our kids was slightly disappointed about not getting to see the Grand Canyon right away (D) but quickly cheered up at the prospect of being at the wedding. (For some reason, the kids really like weddings). :)
We are all really happy about the decision. Since then, we are starting to see more and more blessings unfold and prayers answered that we prayed for for years. Praise Abba! He definitely knows what is best for us.
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