Yep, this is pretty close to what I expect =0)
Planning and Preparing for Some Changes
I have some news…well, potential news. Several months ago, my husband and I felt the Lord leading us in a new direction. We felt a continued push for my husband to make a major job change, removing us from government employment with the military and into unknown territory. So, in a few short months, the transition will begin.
At this point we have no jobs lined up for my husband. He is doing his part in applying wherever he can and feels called, but otherwise we have not yet had a door open. I am thankful, though, that this does not seem to be putting us into a pit, but the Lord is using this time to continue to refine and mold us as He pleases.
For a man, not knowing how he is going to provide for his family is a disheartening thing. My husband is no different. We have had a few tough days during this season when he was just downright frustrated that the Lord has not yet revealed to him the plan, or the next step. We have continued to discuss these feelings and seek the Lord’s wisdom with them. I am thankful that our unique giftings have been brought to the surface during this time, too. It is a joy to just watch the Lord work.
One day my husband and I were discussing his concerns and I think he made a reference to the desire to just be able to know that we would have A, B, and C provided for; i.e. he wanted the assurance, or “guarantee”, of specific material things so that things could stay rather comfortable (Now, I know this was simply his manhood talking, deeply desiring to not be in the position of seeming responsibility if our family might suffer want, and I do not fault him these feelings at all). But, I was reminded of the Exodus and how during the travels to the Promised Land the people grumbled about not having food to eat that they wanted (meat) or refreshing and available drink. This was LITERALLY during a time where the Lord made Himself manifest to them in a pillar of fire and cloud of dust. He had JUST spread the sea before them so that they could pass unharmed on dry ground. I mean, they had seen the Lord work…faith ought not to have been an issue! And yet, here they were, grumbling- Complaining!- before the Lord because apparently His provision was not sufficient. They instead would have preferred to go back to Egypt, where they lived as slaves. Does anyone else see the idiocy of this?
And yet, here we were having our own modern day Isrealite Exodus dilemma: do we follow the Lord through the likely desert in order to get to the Promised Land, or do we instead stay where we are, chained to the job and living on government welfare (honestly, that is exactly what it would be for us…I can’t say that others are the same way, but for us he would be staying in solely for the “protected” paycheck and “assurance” of our livelihood) in order to avoid the time in the desert, but also forsaking the eventual experience of the Promised Land? Needless to say, we are continuing to trust in the Lord with His provision for this time.
What does this mean for us?
To help smooth things out a little, we are working to try to sell our present house in the early spring. I sure hope it sells quickly, and that of course will be our prayer. Our goal is to reduce the load of the monthly mortgage payment so that if we do go for a bit with him not having a solid income we will not have to carry so many expenses. On the tail of the sale, we are hoping to buy land in the area, putting the hopeful profits of the house into lowering the mortgage on the land. We will then be looking to live on the land camper style while we build our home bit by bit.
This is the part that excites me the most! I am SO excited about the prospect of owning some land and getting our homestead started. We have been talking about doing something like this for the better part of 10 years. I have been thoughtful about it for even longer. The idea of having chickens and growing a self-sufficient garden is super exhilarating for me, and my husband has grown more and more in love with the idea over the years. His desire for it is different than mine, because he is attracted to different elements of it, but both of us are empowered and thrilled by the thought of becoming more and more self-sufficient and focused on the home. It just makes sense to us.
Am I scared of living in such a small space with our “large” family?
No, I really am not. I am totally excited about it! We will likely be selling the vast majority of our possessions to simplify things, so we will really just keep the bare essentials. I also truly believe that this kind of experience will draw our family together like nothing else has. Yes, we will likely have good and bad days, but I think the overall experience will be a great blessing for our family.
I also think that the small space living will make a lot of things even easier. For instance, I won’t really have to yell through the house to find kids. If everyone is inside they will pretty much be a whisper away =0)
How are we now planning and preparing for this potential?
At this point we are looking at land that is for sale near us. We are also working on our current home to get it sale ready. We are going to begin downsizing our possessions to make it easier to sell our house and move. We are researching potential home designs for building our own home (we REALLY like the idea of cob, but are figuring out its different limitations and what we will need to address to work with it), as well as putting together our plans for the various projects we will need to undertake once moved onto the property (such as building a chicken coop and getting chickens, laying down and starting the garden, building a shed for storage/work). It is honestly all very exciting.
I am also trying to help by doing some side work to bring in a little extra money to save and set aside. I do not know yet how that will work out, but I am willing to give it a go! If things work out as I hope I will be sure to post about it!
How is this going to affect the blog?
Guess what? You get to come right along with me! I will be blogging about the entire experience and documenting how things pan out. I really just pray that we don’t get into a situation where our lifestyle does not change…I don’t do stagnation very well ::wink, wink:: But, seriously, I love the momentum that this discomfortable situation has brought to the table, because we are intentionally seeking out the changes that we want to make. I greatly desire to get to work on our homestead, so the thought of just staying put because he gets an adequately paying job that meets our present bills would really sadden me. I would much prefer for him to get the job and us still make all these lifestyle changes! The homestead is my “promised land.” =0) I totally want that land of milk and honey!
So, What About You?
Have you or someone you know, whether because of the economy or personal choice, gone through a similar large scale life change like this? Do you have any thoughts on the idea? Do you have any questions you’d like to ask? I’m absolutely up for a good discussion =0)
Susan in St. Louis says
That is so exciting! I look forward to following along and discovering how this goes for you.
We are in a somewhat similar spot. Right now my husband and I feel as if much is up in the air – he lost his job as a computer contractor and is looking for his next contract; this might mean that our plan to spend 6 months in Northern ID beginning next April while our house is on the market might have to be changed; we’re getting our house ready to put on the market; we discovered that Baby was breech last week at 34 weeks…which might result in my first hospital birth ever. Just a lot of unknowns! 🙂
In the midst of that, I feel an excitement to see where God is leading us! All of these unknowns are serving as a reminder that we just never know that tomorrow/next week/this year will bring. God does. And since He is trustworthy, there is a thrill in the unknown. (Of course, there’s a bit of fear and trepidation as well! 😉 )
Blessings to you as you step out in faith!
JulieFilter says
Thanks so much Susan. I have been pondering the idea of preparing and planning while not being anxious or in a state of fear. “Waiting on the Lord” does not mean literally do nothing, but work on what you can while waiting for His timing and guidance on the next step. We are doing our part to prepare and plan, while waiting to see what the Lord is going to do. His Will is certainly always better than our own =0) I pray all goes well with you. Keep working on getting the baby into the right position (cat-cow posture…hands and knees tilting your hips back and forth to loosen everything up). The Lord definitely has a plan, though. I am thankful for your peace in the midst of the rain clouds =0)
Lenore Banks says
Thanks for sharing. God bless you and yours. I love your trust and faith in The Lord!
JulieFilter says
Thanks Lenore. =0)