Grappling with the fact that we do not have all our support and are not leaving for South Africa in May as we had dreamed, wasn't an easy thing to do. Honestly, all sorts of crazy voices swam around in my head for a few days. Maybe we aren't good enough. Maybe we have made a mistake. Maybe we got so focused on getting to South Africa that we quit listening to God and He changed the plan months ago. But God, in His generosity, answered my self-doubt directly and asked me to lighten up. If we are truly following God, then we will be listening and we will know when the plans change. Until then, keep going without hesitation. There are beautiful things ahead. Seriously, it started with a crazy dream about convicts picking strawberries... but that is another story. So, I went out and bought heirloom tomato plants from Trillium Haven's booth at the farmers market. Sort of an accepting the truth that we
have been given the summer to enjoy our friends and family and hometown before moving across the world. Hopefully, a promise that our lives will slow down a bit to be able to savor these extra weeks we've been given. As the tomatoes grow, and we begin to enjoy their bounty it will be a symbol of the richness that will come from the surprise summer with the people we love here.Plus, the names of heirloom tomatoes are just perfect.
We are growing "green zebras" and "tigerella" and "sungold"... and perhaps the most symbolic of all... "mortgage lifter." Let's cross our fingers that by the time these flowers ripen into fruit our own mortgage will be lifted indeed!
I'll keep you updated on the progress of the plants. And the progress of the summer and our journey - here in Grand Rapids and onward to South Africa.And, my dream for you today is that you are getting to enjoy the beginning of summer
THIS MUCH!
3 comments:
So my comment has been pretty much out of all of this as of late. I was telling my wife quite the same thing this week though....If God did not want it then he would not have called you. It is not that it is not going to take some legwork on your part to get it going, that is your commitment to the part. If it all just happened then it would just be called fate but fate is only the acts of God that you are not involved in. God wants you to be a part of this and to s/he (to be politicaly correct) would not have called you to this unless he assumed that you were 'up to the challenge'. We all pray here for you daily here in Joplin and we know this is what is right for the Dicoccos.
Waiting can be so hard. It's like being in a airplane that has arrived at the airport only to be told to circle for awhile because there are too many other things happening on the runway. To see your destination and then be taken away in a big circle can be frustrating... but, like you said, it can also be a chance to sit back and enjoy the view. We are struggling with our own "holding pattern" right now. So I understand, and I am praying for you and your family.
And can I say... I loved the picture of your dirty feet. Let's both come to Him Who willingly and lovingly washes our feet clean, shall we?
thanks to both of you.
You know what has been unexpected although it shouldn't have been? That these past few weeks, where we started out dissapointed, have ended with our being so thankful that we have gotten to be here this month! God has been showing off and we've been getting to be amazed every day.
Truly, I shake me head in wonder.
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