From the Beginning of the Year to the End

We aren't loving winter right now!  "Inhumane!"  my husband said this morning.  "You grew up in this weather your whole life!"  I said.  "I know!  It was inhumane!"  So I guess that's why he moved to Ontario except, even though it isn't cold all winter long, once in awhile it hits COLD.  Fortunately for all of us, he got his skid steer working before the storm came so he was ready for it and has been able to clear the driveway.  A not-so-small miracle.  I don't take that for granted at all.

I was reminded in one of my devotionals this January 1st that we don't know what the year will hold, but we can guarantee two things:  #1) It will be filled with hills and valleys and #2) The Lord will be with us every step of the way.

The author of the devotional based it on Deut. 11:11, 12, which says, "But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which brings water by the rain from heaven, a land that the Lord your God cares for.  The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year."  That has to be the most amazing verse in Scripture.  It covers everything that I could be concerned about.

Sometimes I question if we are supposed to be on the farm because of the amount of work it is, the never-ending costs, the burden it can be to RM, but then I remember how badly we longed for this property and all the things the Lord worked out for us to be on it and and he allowed us to "possess" it just like the land the Lord gave the Israelites.  It wasn't just handed to them, they had to work for it.  They had to fight many battles.  He allowed them to possess it, but it wasn't easy.

Then, lately, we've gone through trial after trial since the middle of December - nearly every appliance and farm-related system has gone on us costing us a lot of money.  First it was the stove (oh yes, mice bit through the wires....if you can imagine, I was grateful that it wasn't a rat!).  That would have been a new stove for us except that, yay! my husband was able to solder the wires back together and unbelievably got it working on the same day it went down.  What a husband.  I really do see that as such a miracle and a way of the Lord looking down and blessing me.  I didn't know how I would have gotten through Christmas without a stove.  I pictured the whole season microwaving?!  Didn't know what I would do.  Is that a way that His eyes are upon me?

Next it wasn't just the dryer, but the washing machine, too - one after another.  I don't need to remind anyone that there are 10 people in our family, always getting dirty and I end up doing multiple loads a day.  One day behind ends up being a nightmare.  Then, the local laundromat closed down and that meant trips further away!  We called in an appliance guy.  He came, he fixed, he left, it broke down minutes after he left.  How annoying!  Hundreds of dollars that could have been put towards a new appliance, gone.  He did come back and attempted a fix on both, but it cost more money for the new parts of course.  The washing machine got started and is still working, but not the dryer.  So, someone makes a daily trip to go dry clothes.....crazy, but the good news is we found a new laundromat in town that is just down the street that must have just opened.  So a small blessing!  The kids love going together (I've only had to go once or twice).  They make it into a whole sibling thing and, hey, why not!  In the whole process, I was able to talk with the repair man a lot about our family.  He was complimentary and I felt like it was a strange blessing to have him in our home, too.  Even at the laundromat, people took notice of our kids, working together, having fun, getting along and marveled that the older 4 were all siblings, with 4 more at home, and that they so obviously liked being together - a rare thing indeed.

Next, was the septic system.  The first time it didn't flush, I wasn't worried, but then when I tried plunging it, I got a little concerned.  When my husband couldn't make it flush, we knew we were in trouble.  He did a lot of trouble shooting and figured the septic tank needed to be pumped out.  Hundreds of dollars later, it was pumped out and that seemed to help at first, but then it stopped again.  This was all while we had 5 extra young adults staying in our home for 2-5 nights!  Not the best time to have a septic disaster.  He got it working while they were here, but not without a few trips to Tim Horton's for emergencies.

Then, I got a lesson in how to fix a blockage.  I found out how to rent a "snake", how to use the snake, how to check if it is working, where to look for the opening to the house and the septic tank itself....I swear I could be a plumber now for any farm.  But, again, I count it an odd blessing as I never knew any of that before!  And, even though we had to spend a small fortune, it did end up working and we didn't have to spend $25,000 on a new septic bed, which was what I had in my head the whole time!  We also didn't have to ever call in a plumber or spend more money on the actual blockage.  My husband was able to do it all himself, so I marvel AGAIN at his skill set.

The water softener seemed to be next.  Fortunately, no money was spent on this.  I think it just needed to be reset, so no big deal there, but at first it was just the thought that ANOTHER appliance seemed to be going.  Good news, it was ok.

Then, we had an engine light, then we had a flat tire -  more money. 

Then we had to finalize my 3rd son's education plans as all the due dates for university and college were this week which meant we had to sign up for the accredited courses the schools require.  This was so much money to apply and so much money for the courses, I nearly choked.  This was where we were so grateful that my son has been working solid for 2 years and was able to cover these costs.  He would not have been able to apply otherwise, setting him back at least a year.

We had hoped to finish the HVAC in the house.  I wasn't sure if we would get to it this winter, but I had hoped.  See, the thing is, we have no heat upstairs!  Never have.  The kids use electric heaters.  I can't be bothered as I like being cozy under my covers and sleep way better in the cold, but last night was a different matter.  Let's say that I now know what it's like to sleep in sub-arctic temperatures.  My nose was bright red when I woke up from my very sleepless sleep.  There will be no fixing of the HVAC until our bank account recovers, so I'm really hoping it gets warmer soon!!!

Clearly, a crazy financial start to our year.  So many expenses and the month is barely half over.  Normally, I'm overcome with fear and worry and trust me, I had my moments, as did my husband, but I was reminded from this verse in Deuteronomy that we are living in "a land that the Lord your God cares for". This farm is His, these appliances are His, these kids are His, so He will care for all of it.  That is His end of the deal.  We just have to possess it, move in, live and watch how He will provided.  The "land of hills and valley, which drinks water by the rain from heaven" means that even in these hills and valley, they are going to be supplied by rain from heaven, not by anything the Israelites do. 

So, if this last month has been any indication of what our year will be like, I think it's going to be an interesting year!  You never know what it will be next!  But the author of the devotional asked, "Isn't it better that way?  To have hills and valleys?  It would be so boring if it was just flat."  Sometimes flat isn't so bad!  But, I have to agree, it sure makes life more interesting. 

Finally, my favourite line in the passage is that His eyes are upon us "from the beginning of the year to the end of the year".  If He was watching over the Israelites all year, He will watch over us.  The key for me was seeing the blessings in the trials.  Meeting the repair man, the people in the laundromat, learning about the plumbing and how our septic system works, how to rent equipment...I'm becoming a capable woman in all of this, watching all my kids step up to help, to even contribute financially to our family economy....they will never take for granted a load of laundry, a flush of the toilet, the warm stove element, a working mouse trap.

I'm living in a land that God cares for.  I just need to keep my eyes open to see it.