REFLECTION

If you are coming up short on adventure, answered prayer, or breathless wonder, try waiting on God.

As I was writing the final sentences of last week’s post, a text arrived from a close friend.

Of course, it was about—waiting. But not on the front end, on the other side.

Don’t you love it? 

When I wrote that we would see where we would go this week, I meant it. With my stash of posts depleted, I had no inkling or impressions about where to go next. Waiting. Again.

But the moment I heard my friend’s story, I knew I had to share. 

A few months ago my friend Marcy happened to look up from her couch to catch the reflection of a lifelong dream stretched across the entirety of her flat-screen TV.

“Look at that,” she whispered with astonishment, followed by, “Lord, I’ll be. . .”

The tapestry prominently displayed above the flat screen was a cherished find from years past. Initially rolled up in a corner of an antique booth, the fiber piece caught my friend’s attention. When she unfurled it she instantly knew, (hoped—depending on the price), that it would be hers. Drawn to nature and her love of birds, camping, and all things outdoors, the tapestry spoke to her heart.

For years, she and her husband talked about purchasing land. They traveled through south Texas exploring the possibilities and discussed the thought with their financial planner who wasn’t keen on their goat farm idea. Over time they acquired pictures of goats, displaying them in their home, always dreaming about a piece of land. And their dream, woven in the treasured tapestry of trees, adorned their hallway.

When land in south Texas became too expensive, my friend suggested they call a realtor. Maybe there were other areas to consider.

The first property they viewed wasn’t on their realtor’s radar, because it was much larger than they originally wanted. The wooded property, complete with a pond, overlooked sprawling acres of breathtaking North Texas landscape. Marcy and her husband loved it. Thrilled, they made their best offer and were promptly denied. Bubble burst. Hearts drooping.

Plagued by the property, her husband monitored its status online, waiting to see when it would sell. Occasionally they would take the near-hour drive to ‘just see’ what was going on with the land.  The undisturbed weeds in the driveway assured her husband no one was doing anything with the property.

Prior to seeing the land, Marcy felt compelled to clear out her house. Wading through a season of grief, she began culling their belongings. After losing a son, she started asking herself why she had certain things. At first, she didn’t think much of it, but at one point, when the compulsion remained over time, she asked, “Lord, am I moving or something?”

After months of weeding out, Marcy told her husband, “That property we love will eventually sell. Let’s call the realtor and see what our house is worth.”

The agent agreed to appraise their home and then stated, “By the way, I just got a call from the listing agent on that property you were interested in. A physician in another town has been eyeing the property for the past year. He just made an offer and the woman selling the property was highly offended. The owner asked me to reach out to the couple that made the initial offer last year—she said she is ready to sell.”

My friends purchased the land, sold their home, constructed a barn, and then lived in a camper inside the spacious barn while their home was built.

Being uprooted from city life, terrific neighbors, easy access to everything, and the ability to get together with friends at a moment’s notice was a big adjustment for my friend. Then the concerns about aging and being further from medical care should the need arise, started dogging Marcy. Before long, she was wondering what she was doing living so far from everyone and everything.  Feeling like she was missing God’s plan for her by being so isolated, she wrestled regularly with doubt and uncertainty.

All the doubts, wrestling, and wondering if they had made a big mistake, vanished when Marcy looked up to see the reflection of their dream on the flat-screen TV.

The sprawling land, towering trees, blue sky, and open spaces woven into the beloved tapestry is now their idyllic reality. 

When Marcy’s husband returned, she showed him the picture she captured with her phone and said, “Look, the tapestry— it’s where we live!”

“Wow!” he replied, “It really is!”

Like the old saying “we can’t see the forest through the trees,” we can get bogged down in the details and miss the bigger picture. Fear clouds our vision, nagging doubts smudge our focus, and before long we question everything, sometimes missing answered prayer or a blessing. Living this way is anything but peaceful.

Marcy’s gift of discovery—realizing she is living their lifelong dream quelled the questions and provoked awe-struck wonder, followed by praise. Like a hug from heaven, God reassured my precious friend that she was precisely where she needed to be. He had indeed given both of them the desires of their hearts and kindly reminded her with a visual of their ‘dream’ reflected on the screen.

Not only have Marcy and her husband established new friendships, but they also continue to meet folks in their community while learning about rural life. Weekly activities with others create a rhythm of connection. Other moments of helping neighbors plant a vineyard, harvest grapes, or having someone bring their tractor over to help with an issue has them learning the ways of country living. 

Today the beloved tapestry testifies of a dream fulfilled and is a daily reminder to wait upon God with eyes wide open. My dear friend refuses to overlook an answered prayer or miss any of His handiwork. Regardless of how she thinks things are, or should be, Marcy longs to behold Him at every turn. 

Now that, my friend, sounds like a terrific place to live!

Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.   Ecclesiastes 5:18-20  NKJV