We Want to be Ants!

It is Monday morning, a new day, a new week...much to be thankful for (haven't really been keeping up with a regular list, but still, lots to be thankful for!).

We now own a lovely broken skid steer and a fridge (with a small dent!).  Ok, so we don't sound like the wisest people buying broken machines and dented appliances, but really, that's how we acquire things....on a budget, that is.  The skid steer was definitely a bargain when I think about it, as new ones are going upwards of $30,000 and used ones are going for $8,000-$10,000 (working ones), so when I think about what we paid....it was a deal.  Yes, I would loooove to have a working one, but think about it...we'd never be able to buy that AND do the work we want to do around the farm.  This way, we though it may take a few extra days (Renaissance Man has already been hard at work at fixing it....it's never an easy fix, but it's coming along and parts are already ordered), it'll eventually, Lord willing, get working and then we're off to the races getting started on our loooong list of farm/house things.  I think it is also great that my boys are watching RM fix machine after machine.  They are getting a fantastic grasp on how to make a broken engine work as well as negotiate a deal (as they go on most of the pick-ups).  Most people aren't independently wealthy, so it's a good skill for them to have as they grow up and potentially own their own equipment.

Same with the fridge.  We made it in time the day RM and my son ran off to make the 7am deadline....turns out we were early in fact!  12 hours early!  They meant 7 PM, not 7 AM!!!!!  Ha, the Lord has a sense of humour and knew we needed to get that fridge!  It is running perfectly, makes ice and dispenses water even! But we do call it pre-disastered....there is one small dent at the top, but you know, we just don't care! Well, I shouldn't say that, we do care, but we don't feel we are quite at that place where we can demand high end appliances with no dents.  It keeps us humble!  It was by far the cheapest ad on-line, so we were thrilled to be able to get it.

Now that it is June, we have a sense of urgency as these Canadian summers just don't last that long!  It's tempting to take that sense and turn it into fear or panic as we think of all that we long to get done or all that we won't get done, but we take it one day at at time.  We'd been praying for that skid steer for a long time and now we have it!  We knew that we might have to find a broken one, but then God led RM to a guy in the States that was an awesome resource that told him just what parts to order and walked him through what is probably wrong with it.  So he bought it knowing he could fix it.  The list of things we want to get done isn't going anywhere and we don't want it to consume us.  If it takes more than one summer, so be it! Contentment is always trying to walk out the door and discontentment is trying to sneak in!  It's like our pastor said on Sunday, "The thing about sin, is that it is never satisfied."  Our list may never be satisfied....two things will get knocked off and 10 more might show up.  We are not about to let our home take over us - we have too many eternal souls at stake and we cannot lose focus.

At the same time, we want to be good stewards of the property God has given us.  We want to give Him all the glory by maintaining an orderly farm as I think disorder can be a poor reflection.  We want to be like the ant who works hard in the summer preparing for winter and the Bible does say, "Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways and be wise."  We want to be like the ant.  A tough balance to figure out and so we go before the Lord daily asking him to teach us, "Lord, we want to be ants - what does that look like?"