Thursday September 20th, 2012
Today was the first day of Haven. That is to say that today we stepped into stewardship of an amazing house, whose owners have asked us to house sit for the next 3 to 10 years. Their only condition that we share the blessing with others who have need. The very thing we are eager to do.
My wife is spending 3 weeks in Hungary, with the Mission she served with prior to our lives joining. While she is gone, I am in charge of moving our family into this amazing home that God has blessed us with. She had things organized on our end, but there is work to be done to make things ready at the new house. Today found my two little boys and I doing a little clean up of the lawn.
Mark, the owner of the house, had let the grass grow and grow, but had made time for mowing just before he left on Tuesday. Because the grass was so high before he cut it, the lawn needed to be raked and the hay needed to be removed. (They lawns are big, but not fields, maybe an acre.) My little men and I took an oversized two wheeled cart, a rake, a shovel and a little kids plastic wheelbarrow and went to work. I was amazed by how small an area we had raked when we had the cart filled.
As I looked around I realized that a task that I had thought would take half an hour was going to take half the afternoon. I am not complaining. I had the time to give, and it wasn't difficult work, but I knew the kids attention wouldn't last that long. (they are two and four) They worked beside me for the first 2 cart loads, then it was all over but the crying. (literally)
The swing set didn't hold their attention, and I'm not quite ready to let them take off into the woods alone. Nap time was quickly approaching, and after the third round of tears from my little buccos, I decided nap time wasn't approaching, nap time had arrived. I took them in to the unfurnished house, (we move in on Sunday) found the softest carpet, pulled out their pillow pets and favorite blankets and instructed them to sleep, while I worked. They didn't actually sleep, but they were quiet and contained, in a room with a great view of daddy working, with the windows open so we could talk, and with a few books about animals to keep them entertained.
As I hauled cart after cart of grass to the designated area at the edge of the woods, I realized the scope of the responsibility we are undertaking. The last home I owned was about 1000 square feet and had a yard of 0.1 acre. I've been a renter for several years since selling it. This home is 4000 + square feet, and sits on 44 acres of forest with about an acre of cleared lawns. (twice that as soon as I reclaim the garden area) I realized that I can't plan my usual amount of time, I can't put in my usual amount of effort, and expect to return the home to its owners in anything close to its current condition. This place will require more time and attention than I have every given.
As I worked at a task that I would not have had to do if the lawn had been mowed regularly, I realized something more. If I procrastinate (and I do LOVE to procrastinate) then I will be overwhelmed. If I get overwhelmed then I will start to see this blessing as a curse. I'm going to have to be more disciplined than I have ever been.
This is particularly amazing, because God has recently been showing me that I lack anything resembling discipline in the realm of my physical body or in my spiritual habits. He has placed me into an environment where I will have to disciplined in order for this amazing blessing to remain a blessing.
So why is this story the begining of Haven?
We want Haven to be a place where people come and find rest. To make it a Haven of rest I will need to be disciplined in how I take care of the property. We want Haven to be a place where people can come and observe life the way God intended it to be. To make that possible I will have to be disciplined in every aspect of my life. Before we can use this gift that God has given us, He has to do something in me. In His perfect way He has put me in the exact environment that I need to be in. He has put me where I need to be to develope the character that I will need develope in order to do the task He has called me to do.
I stand amazed.
He lead me to Haven. He will accomplish Haven in me. He will lead others to Haven, and it is He that will accomplish the work in them as well. All I will do is be faithful with what He has given.
