 |
| Living in my travel trailer at Snyder Ranch |
While enjoying living in Hendersonville, NC, I received a prophecy from a trusted minister named Steve Sampson. I have known Steve for over 30 years and he has been used of God every time there was going to be a significant change of direction in our lives. If you read my last blog, you know that Melissa and I were living in Beautiful Western North Carolina, hiking to waterfalls, having four glorious seasons, and meeting wonderful neighbors and friends. But all of a sudden God gave me a word that started "Snip, snip, snip...."
Steve laid his hands on my head and said those three words. He then said, God was snipping away all the ties that held me back and nothing in my future was going to be permanent, only temporary. I would like to say this was good news and I had already been prepared for it, but it was not. I finally found "the place" where I wanted to retire and spend the rest of my days. My lifelong dream of getting out of the swamps of Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida and Texas was fulfilled. Only glorious Blue Ridge mountains await me.
I lived ten minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway and 90 minutes from The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I was in heaven. Well, maybe not the real heaven, but it was in the same zip code. Billy Graham lived just a few minutes away near Asheville and I was available if he needed any advice.
I was in the promised land. Our house was in the mountains on an acre of wooded land and we had our own waterfall and creek in our backyard. We could sit on the sun porch and listen to the water cascade down the creek, as we smelled the long-leaf pine trees. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Oh yeah,,,,,back to the prophecy. I took this word from the Lord and did what I always do when I don't understand (or like) something I was not expecting. I put it on the shelf and prayed about it. On this one occasion, Melissa was sick and did not attend Steve Sampson's meeting. So, I did not really talk to her much about it.
But something was happening. I had applied for two jobs for which I was very qualified and had multiple interviews. Everything went very well and I prayed that I would get this job. However, I was rejected by both jobs. At the same time, Melissa was having problems with her new job. She was working long hours and not making much progress. Her boss was sending her 100's of emails every day with yet more duties to perform. I became concerned for her health because she wasn't getting enough rest and brought work home continually.
Then, my landlord called me and said they were going to sell our house when our lease expired. We would have to find another place to live. Our debts were increasing and we desperately needed to reduce our cost of living. We owned a new RV which we repeatedly tried to sell. Though buyers came with the cash to buy it, they would change their minds at the last minute. I am used to a good God that answers prayer and when He doesn't I try to find out if I am doing something wrong.
So I prayed. This time, God put a funny idea in my head to sell everything we had, pay off debt, give to the poor and move into the RV. He would tell us where to go and provide for our needs. We would continue to write books and speak to all who would listen about the wonderful love and grace of God. I thought this was a pretty radical step. So I kept it to myself and waited to see what God would speak to Melissa.
Melissa and I are two halves of the same person. We have been married 39 years and we know what each other is thinking. We end each others' sentences (as annoying as that is) and we have very similar tastes, dreams and ideas. We both love the Lord with all of our hearts and would do anything for Him.
On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, which is the beginning of our spiritual new year, Melissa came into my study and told me that God wanted us to sell everything and move into the RV. I was shocked. We knew God had led us to buy this RV and wondered why we hadn't used it for a long time.
So began our new journey of life on the road with Jesus. We sold all our furniture and "stuff" and what we didn't sell, we gave away. Our house was sold to a couple from Georgia and we moved out one year after we first arrived in Hendersonville. Our friends and neighbors wept with us and said good bye. Our families thought we were crazy. Our cats were confused. But we launched out into the deep not knowing where it would lead us or where we would end up.
We often say, "Faith is a Fantastic Adventure In Trusting Him." It really is an adventure and to know Him is to know true joy and peace. I often think about Jesus' life and ministry where he had "no place to lay His head." He was dependent on others for food and lodging. He ministered in the outdoors and seldom in a building. He would just talk to those He met along The Way. We wanted His ministry and now we are sharing in His life.
We have met many good people along the way and found friends that invited us to stay with them with open arms. We traded our expensive RV for a modest travel trailer and we will be trading our Jeep for a larger pickup truck soon. We are staying in the Austin area where we attend a church with our friends. God is using us to encourage people and give them hope.
How long we will be here only God knows. It is often difficult to explain our new life, so we really don't try. Being misunderstood is a burden you sometimes have to bear.
Our mission is:
To imitate Christ by becoming the servant of all (religious and non-religious, sinner and saint);
By entering their world, without judgement or condemnation;
Seeing things through their eyes.
And in exchange,
Showing them the reality of a God-saved life.
(1 Corinthians 9:19-23 MSG)
We hope to see you someday, somewhere on The Way.
