The Abundant LIfe

As I go through my MotherWise study for what seems like the 40th time, I continue to learn new things about submission and trusting my husband.  When he does crazy things or buys what seems to me to be maybe not the wisest choice, I have learned to sit back and watch what happens.

Two years ago he purchased two huge wine presses, broken I might add.  It seemed nuts to me at the time.  I knew he could fix it, but the question to me was WHEN?  He has no time for that kind of thing.  On top of it all, they just sat ugly on our property for these last two years.  I HATE cluttered yards, but our's was becoming the junky yard on the street.  I had to keep quiet, though I did mention it a couple of times, of course (still learning to keep my mouth quiet).

At some point he kept parts in the barn, but those parts were slowly covered with hay as the summer came and went.  Then the horses moved into the barn in the winter and more hay and manure was added.  You couldn't even see the parts really as the hay was everywhere.  But then as spring came and the vines were needing work, we hired our team that we've now used since last year, our miracle "Tommy".  The thing about Tommy is that he likes to get paid and there's just never enough extra money to pay him.  It's always a miracle when it works out.  This is when the presses suddenly were exactly what we needed.

We all went into the barn on the weekend and with our rakes, shovels and the skid steer, we moved that hay as much as we could out the back door of the barn (great compost for the garden) and uncovered the parts from the presses.  They are made of pure steel which a couple of years ago was worth something, but is worth even more now.  We rented a trailer and loaded them up and took them off the the scrap yard - I was impressed with how much money they earned - more than we had paid for them.  Every thing and everyone was paid for and then some and I just sat back once again grateful for the bank account that was in our barn.  I don't know how my husband does it and I don't even think that he plans it, but I think what happens is that I trust him, I try not to nag and God takes that baby amount of faithfulness and then performs the miracle.  The best part is that it means our property is slowly getting cleaned up and the presses are at least partly gone, so it's all good!

Recently I've been wishing I could do more speaking - I don't know why.  I really enjoy it.  I feel so happy when I can speak to a group of women, in particular, that need encouragement, but all the homeschool conferences have been cancelled so there hasn't been the same opportunities that I used to get.  Until two days ago.  I got the funniest call from my bff cousin.  She asked if I could speak at the upcoming conference which is being put on last minute in May.  I figured she wanted me to be one of the workshop speakers again.  It also happened to be taking place on the day I was hosting a shower for my daughter with another daughter so I said no, of course.  But Stephanie was relentless.  She said, "We want you as one of the keynote speakers!  If you speak first there's enough time for you to be back in time for the shower!"  I laughed literally out loud for so long.  Keynote speaker - that's funny.  Trying to get back for a shower?  Even funnier.  But guess what - I'm doing it.  Why?  Because she wants me to speak on something I love talking about and to the exact crowd who needs to hear it.  I had just been telling the women in the Bible study to find out what your gifts are and then to use them - within the limits of not impacting your family - oh the irony.  So I went to all the girls in the house and my husband and explained how I would love to do this, they just need to finish the set up the morning of and we'll do all the prep the week before.  Everyone gave me the thumbs up so I'm going to run to the conference, speak and then run home.  Should be a crazy morning, but (and I know this is just me), but that's a perfect day for me.  I've been up already at night writing the talk in my head.  I'm praying it will be exactly what God wants me to say and that it will be just the encouragement the women need to hear.

So it isn't dull around here, quite the opposite - but the verse that pops in my head is "He came that they might have life and have it ABUNDANTLY!"