One Simple Move of Obedience #FarmLifeWithCones

It was just a summer bbq invite. I was tired. I was emotionally spent. I had nothing left to give. I was embarrassed. I was humiliated. I had no extra money for fuel that week. As a matter of fact I was past counting how many gas tanks I had left on my credit card. I was out of money and this invite was at least an hours' drive.

I felt God's prompting. I argued with God about not going. These were dear friends. They would see past my fake smile and surface conversation. They would ask questions and I was not ready to start answering questions. Why go? It's not something I had planned on doing. My boys, now that is a different story. They have nothing but joy and happy memories in this home we've been invited to. I should have never mentioned the invitation because they were begging to go. I told them I was way to tired and we can plan another time. Yet still God's prompting on my heart to go and so we loaded up my gas guzzling SUV and we went.

There was lots of food and lots of people and the boys were outside playing with all the kids. I knew this was where I was suppose to be. God's prompting was a prompting of renewal to my heart. It was just as simple move of obedience.  I had no idea what God had in store for my heart. It was as if God was saying, "Elizabeth I have my angels waiting to love and care for you here on earth. Just listen you silly." And later that evening I sat with these beautiful ladies who asked me questions. Who allowed me to share. Who embraced my heart and the heart of our family. I shared what I was embarrassed to share. I shared the situation. A situation that for some reason I thought I could have avoided. And the love the poured over my heart was just what I needed.

Later that evening my dear friend Ann, the home we were in, invited our family to come and live with them. Invited the weight of the events to not be weighted down by trying to find a home to live in. At first I said, "no". I mean friends really should not live with each other, should they?  I have known this family for well over 22 years. I have watched their kids grow up. Our lives have had seasons where months went by without seeing each other but our friendship never wavered. Now an invitation to move three busy boys onto their little farm in the country. Kind of a dream invitation for boys who love the outdoors. And I said, "no thank you." And then I said, "I will think about it." Again God pressing on my heart. God pressed for about a week. Then another simple move of obedience.

I said yes. More importantly I said yes to God's prompting of my heart. Another simple move of obedience.  I had no idea I needed a family to love on all of us. I have three boys, and here in this home three of their own boys living at home. Grown children and their youngest son the age of my boys. What a blessing to our family.

Obedience to God is hard. Not just sometimes but all the time. Why?  We may think we have a plan. That plan may be well laid out and make perfect sense. But then along the way there is a change and we think, "no that can't be right."  And when the plan to move to this farm was presented I had to laugh. I had to remind myself that God keeps putting me where I am most able to grow closer to him. Nature, views, animals and a farm. Always somewhere in the midst one or the other.

It has now been six months living in his home.   This is just the beginning of how God has provided and prepared our family through life changing events that would unfold. He moved us into a home that HE could be glorified and honored in. . For His plans are always better than our plans. One simple move of obedience provided more blessings in the midst of heart break than I could have imagined.

What is God prompting in your heart?  How could one simple act of obedience move the course and direction of our your life?

There are many moments I have shared through Facebook with the hashtag #farmlifewithcones check in on that for little adventures here and there.

God's Faith Building Moment Comes From the Sky

It was a very tough week. It was late summer of 2016. It was the kind of week where you decide to grab some overnight bags, load the kids in the car and go somewhere fun. We were on summer vacation and it was time for some vacation. One thing is for sure. We LOVE roadtrips and we love being together.

Within minutes of being in the car, we were singing to Cold Play, and laughing over silly things. I was thankful that God had put on my heart to just go, without a plan. We had a destination of Seattle fun. Being with family and friends. All things my boys love doing. All things to distract us of harder things.

One morning while on this adventure we decided to drive down to the water front in Port Orchard. We then decided to take the walking Ferry to the other side and look at the big ships. It was just an easy morning to get out and play, be on the water and distract ourselves from the hard stuff left back home.

I wore one of my summer outfits with my darling shoes. The kind of shoes that are good for about two hours of walking. And based on the morning's plan that was the extent and thus I wore these darling shoes.

Once on the other side of the bay, we decided to take the bigger Ferry into downtown Seattle. Whoa I am wearing my "only walk for about two hours"shoes. Not my "walk all day" shoes. Come on!!!  Tell me I am not the only who knows her shoes well. The shoes I was wearing had produced the biggest blister months earlier after walking all over the Portland waterfront. Now heading the the Seattle waterfront I already had a blister forming. Not again.

Once on the big ferry I went to the kiosk asking if they had a band-aid. I was asking strangers if they had a band-aid. No one could find me single band-aid.  I was fearing the end of the day with these silly shoes on.

While we were on the ferry to Seattle our family was in a heavy discussion on why God does not just answer our prayers when we want Him to. Why does there have to be pain and suffering in this world? Why would God even allow this stuff?  Once we got off the ferry the conversation continued. Meanwhile I am still on a hunt for a band-aid. Then I got the idea of how to help my kids understand God just a teeny bit more using the lack of a band-aid experience.

I explained that God always provides.I explained that God's timing is always better than our timing or our demands.   I explained that sometimes God gives us glimpses of HIM working in our lives as a faith building moment. Like..."hey I am working this out for you, and here is a bit of proof."  That example is often so tangible you know it came directly from God. I then explained that sometimes God just does not show himself to us unless HE knows we need to be reminded that he is working out things on our behalf. I said that my shoes were causing me a blister. And do you really think that God would just drop a band-aid out of the sky when I already knew I should not wear these shoes. I said that God might do that if he needed to remind us that HE truly is in the middle of our circumstances. Just then the 5 year old looked up. And then all six of us were looking up. And there floating out of the sky was a perfectly  wrapped band-aid. Did you read that? A band-aid blew through the air and landed right in front of me.

We all freaked out. I mean really freaked out. God had a faith building moment that came from the sky. I went over to a bench and sat down to unwrap and adjust this band-aid. I started weeping. Thanking God for having my back. Thanking God for helping me explain to my kids, that even in all this hard stuff, God is caring for us. A band-aid fell out of the sky. A story my kids will never forget. Truly God is the the smallest parts of our lives.

A side note this event is that my fourteen year old attending a summer youth camp the following week.  During cabin time he shared this story. The next morning my oldest son, a youth pastor at this camp, called telling me that Ethan was telling crazy stories during cabin time. I assured him that the story was very much true to how it was shared. God using this story to share with others of HIS faithfulness.

And that is one faith building moment from the sky. Thank you Lord Jesus. And those shoes....well they have been tucked away for good.