What a crazy few weeks, okay maybe months, possibly even life.
This week was better than last week but life at the trailer and property has been interesting. People’s reactions to our story are just as interesting.
I have heard, “Oh, I could never do that!”
“Well, you moved out there.”
“Jane, you have such an exciting life!”
And those are true statements. However, the thing that God has been showing me more and more is that everyone can live just like this. Yes, you too can live by faith, you can have adventures like crawling through a scrawny little cupboard like the one in the picture (it is the end left cupboard the tall skinny one).
I had gone down to the field part of the property to take Brian some supper. I took my car keys, Mocha was already asleep in her kennel, I shut the trailer door and off I went. When I came back, much to my chagrin, the doors of the trailer were locked. I had no way in. I never locked the trailer doors so how that happened is still a mystery (just like my missing shampoo, but I digress).
Off I went back to the field to ask Brian if he had his keys. I got his key ring and back to the trailer I went. I tried every key that looked like it would fit into the lock and again, nope, I could not get in.
Back to the field I went and asked Brian to come and take a look; up to the trailer we went and sure enough his trailer key was in his pickup not the work truck he was driving. Stumped. We circled the trailer and by now I am almost in tears because I am tired of the weird stuff that keeps on happening. Then Brian calls me from the back of the trailer – “here…” he says.
I look at what he is pointing to. It is the narrowest, skinny little cupboard however it does open to the inside of the trailer. I laugh and say, “you won’t fit in that.” THEN I GET IT! …….. “I” am supposed to crawl through that dinky little opening.
I tell him that I cannot get up there and next thing you know my feet have been boosted up and my head and shoulders are contorting in a weird fashion to try to get in the cupboard door. Oh OUCH! Those metal rims of the cabinets are scraping all the skin off my legs, and I am moaning and yelling. Next thing you know I am stuck on a nail and so I yelled out, “I am stuck” only to look back and see that Brian is no where to be seen and I am alone stuck in the cupboard. Cannot get in and cannot get out. So, I took a huge breathe in and out and mustered the courage to keep going forward regardless of the nail and within minutes I am laying on the floor of the inside of the trailer bruised, bent, and sore. The nail or whatever it was snagged on my shirt, pulled off easily as I went.
So where are the blessings? What about this move is good? Now if I am being honest, it has taken me a whole week to see good in this move. Perhaps it took that long to get my head adjusted or perhaps it took that long for God to download things into my brain that I needed to hear. Yesterday, was the first day I could honestly say I had a lovely and pleasant day at the property – mostly by myself, well with Mocha and my grandpuppy Sako.
Do you know how many people would pay money to be where I am? Surrounded by nature, in a setting of exquisite beauty, in a lovely trailer, not much for bills? I paid our property taxes, $450. They even make tv shows about people off the grid. I am surrounded by butterflies; I wake up to the birds singing. Today and the other day I used the outdoor shower. Yup right there outside just me, trees and the birds. Yes, the bugs and mud are gross but momentary and I have a netted gazebo, bug spray and gumboots.
So, the blessing part. I have had people actually tell me that they think God blesses me, but they do not seem to get the blessings so perhaps He does not love them as much. This has been a statement I have heard many times over the course of my Christian walk.
I got the answer to that statement this week.
Take 2 cups and place one right side up and one upside down. Pour water over both at the same time. What happens? Only one cup gets filled, the other is still dry, because it was upside down.
God is always pouring His blessings out, they are endless, they are miraculous, and they are poured out for everyone equally.
The problem is that many of us are not in the receiving mode, that would be the cup that is standing right side up. Getting a blessing is two sided – the giving and the receiving but many of us expect a blessing to fall on us no matter what condition our hearts are at.
Have you given up expecting blessings? Do you decide that if something God says or does makes you uncomfy then you won’t do it? You will not see the blessing without obedience. You will not see blessings without expectation. You certainly will not see many blessings if you do not believe in the God who gives them. Have you turned your life upside down and decided that God is not fair, that He only loves others and not you? I would say your cup is in the upside down position. Blessings are dependent on your mental attitude as much as your heart. If you stay in the upside-down cup mode, you will wonder why God does not bless you the same as others. Blessings are not dependent solely upon God, they are 2 sided and you must be doing your part.
He wants to bless you; the blessings are still flowing but perhaps you are not in the receiving mode. Your cup is upside down and are wondering why life is so dry.
Having blessings does not mean life will be easy or that life will seem fair or even fun at times. I have found that God’s version of blessings is far different than mine in many
cases. I may not even like some of the blessings! Like crawling through cupboards to get into the trailer, but we did not have to break a window! That was a blessing. I guarantee you if you live this way your motto will be as mine: life is never dull and boring!
Did you ever think that you might be the one that is causing the blessings to not come? You have not positioned your mind, heart and life to the attitude of receiving.
I am not being flippant and pointing my finger at you, not at all. Rather I am saying come on the journey with me, open your heart to the wonder of God, expect Him to show up, expect that blessings will flow, have a mindset to expect the unexpected, blessings are flowing and you are in the receiving mode, then get ready because they are on their way.