Story Time

Where do I even begin?  I will try to document the last two weeks, but I have a feeling it isn't going to be short.  Sorry.  It's a series of stories.

The Tommy Story

It began a couple of weeks ago.  RM was on the tractor hoeing with the grape hoe attachment, beginning the never-ending attack on the weeds that were springing up everywhere, when out of nowhere, a black Pilot comes driving down the vines towards him, beeping as it went.  RM stopped the tractor, somewhat disoriented, "Where did this guy come from?"  Out popped a Vietnamese man with arms waving.  I could tell he was wanting work on our farm just by what RM was saying, "Oh, we're mostly pruned, just have to tie the vines......"  But this guy, Tommy, was relentless.  The next thing I knew, RM was gone and the truck was gone.  Where?!  I joke now that Tommy kidnapped him.  I still have no idea where they went, but I assume it was driving around looking at the vines.  I started praying right away, first of all, just in case he was kidnapped, that he would be safely returned, and then I started praying that RM would know what to do.  We've never hired workers.  We don't have any extra income for that kind of thing.  But I also wondered if there was a way and that RM would have a sense of discernment as to what to do.  

Next thing I know, the kidnapping was over.  Tommy returned RM to his tractor and took off.  RM came walking over to me and and said, "I hired him!"  I was so shocked and so happy at the same time.  Within minutes, Tommy had gone back to where he lives, picked up his wife and two others and they were in our vines fixing mistakes we had made apparently and rescuing us from ourselves.  We consider Tommy a vine angel.  He has been working in vines for over 25 years and is a literal expert in grape farming.  He shook his head at all that we had been doing and basically said, "You need to thank me for helping you. You don't know what you're doing.  I do.  I'll fix everything." And that's exactly what he's done.  In a matter of days he and his crew have repruned, retied...basically doing everything a vineyard needs to grow properly. You can tell just by looking at it that it has been done by professionals instead of us amateurs.  That's one aspect of the miracle.  

What has come out of this is a huge sigh of relief....by all of us.  Our kids were great workers, but having never worked in a vineyard before they really didn't know what they were doing.  They were also very busy and though they were being so faithful and diligent, they did have actual jobs or studying to do, they were having a hard time finding time to help as much as we needed them.  Tommy has stepped in and relieved our kids.  They are so grateful.

Tommy has also relieved my husband.  You never know the burden that is on your mind until it has been lifted sometimes.  Having a professional vinedresser in the vines has alleviated so much stress from RM.  He walks around with a new sense of peace and happiness because he knows that his vines are in good hands.  What Tommy has taken on has allowed RM to help me in the garden and has allowed RM to focus his time in places that will make him money.  Tommy keeps telling RM, "You make money....."

The Hay Story

How to pay for Tommy though, that was the question.  We rarely get paid for the hay on time.  We wait and wait and then we bug the people who owe us and then sometimes after all that bugging, it finally comes in and then they often don't pay what we asked for.  Not this time.  We not only got paid on time, but early, in our minds.  We didn't have to bug the people at all and they paid what we asked for.  This allowed us to pay Tommy and crew and that was such an answer to prayer.  We figured if God brought Tommy, remember he came to us, beeping down the vines, we didn't look for him, then God would help us find a way to pay for him and He did.

The Grape Story

Turns out Tommy is quite connected to other vine growers in the area and within days of connecting with him, he started connecting us with other growers.  One guy down the street no longer wanted to farm his grapes, but he wanted to keep the vines on his property.  He wanted someone like us to farm them for him and we would be able to have all the grapes in return for a couple of cases of wine.  Tommy said, "You should do this."  So off we went to meet the grape owner and within a couple of days, we had a handshake contract and are now farming two more acres of grapes which will be a great benefit to us come Fall.  Thanks Tommy!  Love this guy.  The irony is that 15 years ago, we would come out this way to go the wineries on this exact street where we are farming.  We would look at each other and say, "Who gets to live here?"  The vines we are now farming are right across the street from the winery we used to sit at as a suburban tourist couple.  If you had told me then, in 15 years you'll be living up the street and farming the grapes you are looking at now, I WOULD NEVER HAVE BELIEVED YOU.

The Surgery-Gone-Wrong Story

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, I was sick.  I had gone to the surgeon at the one month mark and everything looked great.  But it was not great.  There was a low lying infection going on beneath the surface that suddenly appeared a week ago.  I ended up in hospital and had to go back in for a minor procedure to get rid of the infection.  This now has me daily in a clinic getting the infection drained and dressing changed every single day for the next month to six weeks.  Right at the busy gardening season.  But, thank God for Tommy.  Because he was in our lives, RM and family were able to step up when I was down and out.  Because God knew the future where I would not be well, He put Tommy in place AHEAD of the game, allowing the family to not worry about the vines, or how to pay for Tommy and this allowed the family to take care of me during my rough spell.  Though it was a bit of a scary time, RM was not stressed about the farm.  We look back already and see how God was taking care of things way before we even knew it.

The Church Story

It all happened so fast, me getting sick, that I didn't send out an email telling the world.  I just lay in bed hoping to get better.  But I wasn't getting better, I was getting worse.  One friend wouldn't stop asking the girls what was going on.  The girls kept telling her they had never seen me like this and didn't know what was wrong.  That was enough for her.  She got on the computer and set up a meal train and the next thing I know meals started showing up like I'd never seen before.  I've received meals for 8 babies and have always been grateful, but I've never been sick and received meals.  It was different somehow, somehow more humbling as I really couldn't do anything.  I couldn't think about shopping.  I could barely walk.  My kids had been amazing "moms" for days, but were starting to fade.  "It's hard to be a mom to 8!" they kept saying.  Haha.  When the meals came, we all just sat there, so happy!  We all ate and ate like it was the best food we'd ever had.  The food just tasted so good and there was a gratitude for it that we had never experienced before.  Food from fellow believers has healing power, I'm convinced.  There's just something about it that heals the body and the soul.  That was the true Church coming through and there are still days left.  I am SO GRATEFUL.

The In-Law Story

While all of this was going on we had Mother's Day....for me it was the best ever because I got a two day celebration out of it as the kids wouldn't be around on the actual day as the girls were leading worship together, so we celebrated on the Saturday and the Sunday - score!   Being sick had an added benefit, I actually took the day off.  I really couldn't do much.  On the Sunday, my in-laws came over.  RM took his mom out in the vines and she was just having her best day, loving the view, the outdoors, the chickens, the grandchildren.  Overcome with emotion, she cried, "Can we live here?"  YES!  We've said all along we will take any parent who wants to come.  We could so easily have things set up for anyone to move in.  RM hesistantly said to talk to his Dad as he thought he might be more resistant to the idea, but within 24 hours, we got a clear  - yes.  This is big news.  We are now working around the clock to make this work as fast as possible.  God just seems to have everything on overdrive right now.  We can hardly believe how fast our lives are changing from day to day!

The Worship Story

My two daughters got to lead worship together this past Sunday.  It was so beautiful.  They were so happy.  Having lost our worship pastor was sad, but it has certainly allowed for others to step up and that has given my daughters opportunities that would never have happened otherwise.  So though some mourn, I see how God has used loss to create new life in the church.  Kind of cool.

The Surgeon Story

I can't believe how many stories are being written in our lives right now.  It is fun to wake up each day and wonder, "What will happen today?"   Going in to the hospital this past Monday I prayed, "Lord, give me someone to talk to."  I didn't realize it would be the surgeon himself.  I was awake this time for the procedure.  He started asking me about my farm, where we lived, etc.  Turns out he buys eggs from our neighbour, small world.  I told him to buy vegetables from me as he just lives a few minutes from us.  He wrote all our info down and is probably going to come by this summer!  I also talked with the med student again who my son follows on youtube about getting into med school.  He and were having a great chat about essay writing, Marineland, how to get into med school, all during the whole procedure.  I thanked him for all his help again and how much my son appreciates what he does.  Very funny.

Now, I head in every day to see the nurses in the clinic.  We already have a lovely rapport and I pray we'll have wonderful conversations over the next 4-6 weeks.  I marvel at the care I'm getting and how our health care allows for this.  I marvel at the human body and how it knows what to do.  I marvel at how you never know what a day will bring.  I continue to be full of hope and excitement.  

One thing I can't believe I'm excited about is dirt.  RM dug up the garden again and the soil looked like real soil compared to clay like last summer.  I picked it up like a real farmer and tried to make a "dirt ball" with it.  It was perfect.  I have learned so much that in that one squeeze, I knew our vegetables would grow.  I'm so excited about that!

So, there's my list of stories just for two weeks.  I'm sure the next two weeks will bring even more.