Yesterday we celebrated Canada Day on our property with some old friends and our new ones. This year we included a short time of prayer for our country, our leaders, our families. Out of the whole time, that was probably the most significant part of the evening for me. We are a privileged country, but our leaders, at least most of them, are lost. Our current premier of our province is a lesbian. She definitely needs our prayer.
Currently we are at 32 people on our property (including the 10 of us). Now we have 5 RVs and lots more kids. Another man, an apologist/friend of these preachers, showed up yesterday, too, for a quick visit. The few minutes we spoke with him was also such an encouragement as he doesn't go around trying to convince people with all sorts of "Ph.d.-type" evidence for God. He said he had been doing that, but so many Christians that he was training to share their faith just felt they weren't smart enough or that they could never remember all those types of arguments. He has since then changed his approach to simply telling people the Bible is true and this is why. He then shows them the weaknesses in their arguments very logically. Everyone knows there is right and wrong and he explains this is all because God exists. I'm simplifying it very badly, but what I liked was he makes evangelism much more doable, not so intimidating, as so many feel they aren't qualified, or educated enough to share their faith. He was very inspiring as well.
I'm excited to say, during this whole process, life on the farm hasn't stopped and we've been making progress finally on the siding of the house! Yeah! One section of our house has looked like an eye-sore for some time....we had pulled all the old siding off a long time ago and covered it with styrofoam and had not been able to get to siding it (thus the cold, awful winter, frozen pipes, etc....). As of yesterday, though, it is getting done and even quicker than I first thought! Another wonderful father-son opportunity for RM and boys. They are able to pick up another skill by helping. He doesn't make it up when he says he needs them - he really does need them. What I love most about watching them is how they are learning to anticipate his needs before he says what he needs. One of the boys jumped up at one point though RM hadn't said anything and quickly unplugged the saw and plugged in the cord to the air nailer. Sure enough, two seconds later, RM needed the air nailer and he just looked at my son and smiled. He had known what tool was needed next. Suddenly, the same son, jumps up again and grabs the ladder and puts it literally where RM was about to put his foot down. Again, my husband, was just about to grab the ladder, but there it was, right where he needed it. It was cool to watch. It means a lot less yelling, a lot more smooth, seamless work and I'm convinced that is why it is getting done as fast as it is.
The barn floor was the same way. People are in awe that it is complete. We are in awe! I was so sure that was going to take all summer. I was so sure that it was going to take a team of men that didn't exist. I couldn't get my head around how it was going to get done, but suddenly, 15 beams later - all at 300 lbs+ each, only two young boys, one dad - it was done. That includes taking the old floor out, putting all the new boards on top of the new beams....and on a major budget! If we had hired that floor out, we can't even imagine how much it would have cost, but somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000. We figure we put it in for around $1000. RM had sourced out the beams we used from a railway business that was getting rid of old ties at $9/railway tie! Not bad! He had purchased those well over a year and a half ago. They had sat on our property for ages with the idea to use them on the barn floor one day. As time went on, I thought to myself, I had better get used to seeing that pile of railway ties as it's going to be there for a looooong time. The next thing you know, the pile is pretty much down to nothing! I hadn't questioned him when he bought them. I knew eventually he would get to the floor, I just never thought it would be so soon and so quickly!
Another interesting thing happened. I feel it is a bizarre, but wonderful blessing from the Lord - one of our newer neighbours is into collecting old farm machinery. Sometimes he restores them, sometimes he takes them in for scrap metal money. We had had an old threshing machine - a really beautiful antique really, but good for nothing to us! It took up half the barn it seemed - it was HUGE! Huge and useless! We had tried listing it for sale many times and had no takers. One day, this neighbour comes up to RM and says, "I'll take that threshing machine." Are you serious????!!! He wanted it. For nostalgic reasons. You can have it! Done deal! So as soon as that barn floor was done, out went the threshing machine and now, no joke, it is sitting on his grass, doing nothing. Better there than here! The reason that is so great is slowly but surely things are getting cleaned up. That was literally taking up space in our heads - it represented such a barrier to getting the barn empty and ready for more hay. Now we can use that space for hay storage - it just goes to show you how "stuff" can be such a burden. We were so glad to be rid of it.
One by one, the things we had hoped to get done this summer are getting done. I'm grateful. Some people do "school" through the summer - not us! Are you kidding me? There is no time! Our kids do school, but it is farm school. We have so much to do and so little time! We have 100 meat birds on the property now, too, and pigs are arriving shortly, so the animal chores have increased, too. I do LOVE SUMMER. Every day, every warm breeze, every late summer evening sitting outside......it's all so awesome and I wish it would never end! I can do without the flies which have come back with a vengeance with the warm weather, but that is truly my only complaint. I am so grateful for all that God is allowing us to accomplish. It goes back to my original prayer so many years ago - we are rebuilding the ruins. I first read these verses in the King James,
Ezekiel 36:32-37
"Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you....and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled (didn't we just do that when RM plowed the land for the first time!?), whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities (or barns, in this case) and become fenced (and rebuilt!) and are inhabited (with all sorts of animals!). Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord BUILD THE RUINED PLACES AND PLANT THAT THAT WAS DESOLATE: I the Lord have spoken it and I will do it."
Isn't that an amazing passage??? He builds the ruined places, be it our lives, our marriages, or our barns. He makes what was desolate and ruined inhabited! That old barn hasn't seen fresh hay in generations! We bought it full of hay that had been there for years. It is slowly filling up with hay from this summer and now that the junk is disappearing we can put even more fresh hay in there. Now when you walk into the barn, this amazing smell of buttery hay fills your nose - there is a beautiful warmth, almost a glow that fills the barn. I've never been able to appreciate all the old beams that are so thick it is a marvel they got them up. I never felt comfortable even stepping foot in there before. Now it is a pleasant place to be. We often sit in there and just look around at all that has been done - but of course, God always makes it clear though, it is not for our sakes, not in our power, but for His glory and by his enabling. We are so grateful!
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