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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

A Pretty Mt Angel Farm and God's plan vs. Mine

Last night as we were headed up to a friend's house in Beaverton, we drove the road as we so often do between Mt Angel and Gervais. This road takes us past another friend's farm. The gray skies had parted just a bit and the golden sun was casting a beautiful glow on their neatly planted Philbert trees and pretty red buildings. As I took in the view, I was reminded of a conversation my husband and I had about 5 years ago while temporarily living in Keizer. He had just returned from this farm and first meeting with our friends about starting a Bible Study in their home. My husband told me how beautiful it was out there on their Mt Angel farm and said, "It's so nice out there, Jill. It makes me want to move out there. Are you sure you want to move back to Beaverton?"    If you have ever seen Sense and Sensibility and the scene where Elinor's half-brother suggests inviting Elinor to come stay with him and Fanny for a while and then Fanny's brother looks at John with a gaping, dorky, speechless stare, then that is how I think I reacted. My brain was NOT ready to consider that. We had a plan in place and that suggestion was on  an entirely different road. I was not a very open-minded wife, shall we say. Anyway, as I looked at that farm last night and realized that we pretty much lived out here now, I was able to smile and even chuckle at how feeble MY plans are. "How'd we get HERE?" I asked him.  But I was able (at least last night) to say it with a peacefulness and thankfulness and joy that I am not running my life like I think I am. And you know?  It IS beautiful out here.