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I'm not certain I really believed I'd ever have a
home. The dream was always so far away from where I was, that I never "saw"
that I would one day be where I am today. You see, I didn??™t understand that
God listens... even to our dreams.
We live in a big white house high atop a hill
overlooking a lovely valley graced with farmlands. Outside our front door
we can look farther up the hill and see horses, cattle and sheep. Farther
on, beyond my view are some of the prettiest acres I've ever seen.
The view from the back of our house overlooks a
valley. We have fifty-five feet of deck, that we??™ve been desperately trying
to rescue from the effects of sun, winds, and weather. The deck stretches
across the entire back-width of the house. We have a wealth of huge trees,
maples, birch, cherry, and nut trees, and we are planting more. In the
distance I can see mountain ridges, which are all a beautiful part of the
Appalachian Chain. It often seems so unreal that I view mountains, in the
distance. I was raised by the Ocean, and I can remember the feel of sand in
my shoes, if I was wearing any.
I have longed to live in the mountains of southwestern
Virginia, my entire life. I can remember back to a time of daydreams,
looking out over land so flat, you could almost see the edge of it, and
looking out over a life that seemed even flatter. Now, I'm planning
gardens, and our house is high enough to almost reach to heaven, or so I
imagine.
Some people say that the sea is more dramatic, always
changing, sometimes calm, and sometimes swept with storms. I grew up by the
sea, and I have discovered that the mountains are much the same. Sometimes
the air is so clear that you can number every peak, and they seem to go on
forever. Other times, as the storm clouds roll in and the mist rises up,
waiting for that first crack of thunder makes my heart tremble, and I hold
my breath. Suddenly a streak of lightening, thrown from God's hand, flashes
across the sky, launching through the air, and streaking towards the
ground! That loud explosion makes me know I have a heart, as I feel it
hammering in my chest.
"Oh God!" I cry. ???I know, this is your handiwork, and
I know that I am safe within your hands!!??? So, here we are on our own land,
God??™s little acre, the place where I dreamed of living as a child. How like
God to listen to and care about my childish yearnings. How like Him to lead
His little sheep to this green pasture. Thank you, Lord, for leading me
home. |
