On the Garden Path at 5~Acre Farm: A Time to Speak, and a Time to Refrain from Speaking

Sunday, January 22, 2012

A Time to Speak, and a Time to Refrain from Speaking

As I was leaving church this morning, my pastor surprised me by asking me to take the service next Sunday, to preach or teach, or go as the Spirit leads me. Without a single heart flutter, I calmly told him, "Okay, but the last time I was asked to speak in a church (5 years ago), I developed stomach flu and laryngitis and had to cancel. I'd say that was a clear message that I wasn't supposed to speak. So, we'll see what happens this week."

As a younger woman I would have leaped upon this opportunity like a hungry tiger. Back then, I had so much I wanted to share about God and the word, and all that He had and was teaching me. I was more than anxious to share everything I knew with anyone who would listen. The problem was, no one wanted to listen. That was difficult for me to deal with back then, but with unchecked enthusiasm I kept looking for anyone who would hear me.

I ministered in many ways to many people over the years. The situations were almost always spontaneous. I'd meet someone in my day-to-day activities, and I could sense they needed something, a word, an encouragement, a shot of hope, a jog of their faith, or even a few dollars. I'd listen to them, take it into my heart, and I'd respond from the word of God. I didn't "quote" scriptures to them. I'd share the word in a way I could tell they could receive. Yielding to the Holy Spirit, I'd tell them what I thought God wanted them to hear. Always, my goal was to help them put their eyes on God, so He could remind them what He is able to do.

I ministered in many ways to many people over the years, as I said, but, except for the one time I got laryngitis, I was never asked to speak in a church, to a ladies group, to a Bible study, or to any other gathering of God's people. So, am I unhappy about that? Was I ever angry at God for not providing an opportunity for his faithful servant to speak?

Though sometimes unhappy, and frequently dismayed, I was never angry at God. If you know who He is, and what He does, it becomes impossible to get angry at Him, because we know that God offers us every good thing. He isn't out to punish us, or trip us up, or make us earn His blessings. He simply offers and gives good things. He is faithful in His love to us. It's the choices we make that move us through the realms of good and uh-oh; and in both places, especially the uh-oh realms, He is with us, covering us with His grace to comfort and strengthen us, and bring us through whatever that uh-oh is. He is also educating us through those experiences, and if we look closely, we'll see that He is also giving us gifts we did not expect.

I completely believe, as the word says, that my steps are ordered by God. Now, that's if I'm keeping my eyes on Him! So, if my steps are ordered by God, then I will always be where He wants me to be; and I will always be doing (for the best part) those things He wants me to do. God didn't want me to speak to any groups all those years ago. He didn't want me to speak five years ago. But He did want me to speak to individuals, and minister to them whatever they needed while I was with them.

When we trust the Lord, when we keep our eyes on Him, he will take care of everything else, and he will complete His will for us.

Next Sunday, we'll see if it's time for me to talk.

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John and Michelle, and 5 Acre Farm

How We Came To Be

John was born and raised in Georgia by parents who lived incredible lives of their own, and passed on to John a rich family history from both sides. He was a die hard Boy Scout, and later, spent 17 years as a Troop Leader. He earned a dual Agriculture/Agricultural Engineering degree at ABAC in Tipton, where he also started the college's radio station. After college, John served on nuclear submarines in the Navy, where he once saved the lives of his shipmates, and, rumor has it, did many incredible things in the service of our country. He married and had a family, and after the Navy, worked briefly with the EPA before opening his own HVAC-Refrigeration company. John was inventive as a child, and that carried over into everything in his life. He is a fixer of severe mechanical problems, and an inventor of all kinds of things that improve on or simplify existing machinery, equipment, and ideas. His inventions are unique, and some of them may some day aide humanity, save lives, and save our planet if we can get the right people to listen.

My dad was career Army. I was born in France, and introduced, at a very young age, to the Virginia countryside, where we raised rabbits and chickens. After dad retired, we moved to North Carolina, his home state, where we spent many years on the coast, near Wilmington. Here, we had a garden, raised cows, pigs, chickens, and ducks, and fished commercially. Our freezer was always full of fresh Spot and shrimp, and oyster roasts were a weekly event! As a young adult I lived with my family in the mountains south of Asheville. Here too we had a garden, raised cows, pigs, chickens, and ducks, as well as geese and peacocks. I worked for many years with an arts council, Christian organizations, and other non-profits. I helped train missionaries, researched/wrote grants, produced professional documents, edited newsletters, and wrote a lot of publicity materials. I already had two Associate degrees, but in my late 30s I finally completed an undergraduate degree in English/Art History. For 20 years I was active in community theater, sang solos with a community choir, and danced with a show choir. Treasured memories! I moved to Georgia in late 1998, and married my first husband in 2002. I was 45. Eighteen months later, I was widowed.

John and I first met in 2000. After I was widowed, and John was divorced, we found each other again. Of like minds, spirits, and goals, our hearts came together quickly, and we married in 2005. Each of us has undergone Elijah House training, and we were both ordained into ministry in 2006. I have been a Christian counselor and prayer warrior for probably 30 years. John and I live to put God first in our lives, and in our dreams for this small piece of earth of which we are the caretakers.

We call our place "5 Acre Farm." John's father took this barren, overworked field from a larger parcel of farmland in the mid-70s. He fenced off about three-quarters of an acre for the house, and added plants, flowers, and trees. Elsewhere, he transformed the property through years of hard work, adding an apple orchard, peach trees, pears, two fig orchards, grape vines, and a greenhouse. John and I have been trying to continue his father's work on this land, adding to it with our own hopes and dreams, and our late-in-life efforts. Not a day goes by that I don't feel great respect for John's father, for the man he was, for the work he did here, and gratitude for the bounty we reap because of his hard work.

John and I are in our 50s, just starting life together, but with age and health trying to work against us. We aren't ready to sit down and take it easy. We have a goal to become self-sufficient by growing our own food (meat and vegetables), and getting off the grid. The challenges we face in doing this are age, health, and finances. John's inventiveness is being strongly applied, as is my gift for budget stretching and frugality. Our strength? The love we have for each other, and the trust that we are working inside the will of God.

One of the things we ask ourselves now and then is this: "Is it worth it?" I never had children. John's son has set his own path with family and career. There does not seem to be anyone we can leave this property to who will continue the work and the dream; one of John's grandchildren, perhaps, but they are very young right now, and do not yet notice or care.

So, is it worth it (all the work and expense) if there is every chance this land will end up in the hands of developers after we're gone? Well, our answer to that question so far is always "Yes, it's worth it." It's worth it to us, because of what we are accomplishing here in our lifetime. It's worth it because what we grow here we share with family, with friends, and with our community. And not just what we grow, but our faith and philosophy, our hopes and dreams, and our very desire to leave at least our little part of the world better than it was when we found it. We are living - consciously, and deliberately - a lifestyle that expresses who we are and what we believe. Does anybody care? Why don't read our blog, leave a comment, and let us know.