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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.
(c) 2005 Jaye Lewis |
