February 28, 2012

Dreaming (part 2)

This is a mini series, so if you haven't read part 1, click here first.
Wide open spaces.
That's what I have dreamed of, as long as I can remember.
As a little girl, I dreamed of being Laura Ingalls Wilder on the great Prairie.  My dream has changed a little since then.  Kansas isn't calling my name anymore, but I still crave wide open spaces.  Don't get me wrong, a big city visit is fun, but I could never live there.  Well, I've learned to never say never.  BUT if given the chance I'd always choose rural over urban.

When our family was just beginning my husband and I rolled around the idea of moving to the NC mountains.  The reality of jobs and school systems (because homeschooling wasn't even a blip on the map at that point) made it an impossibility.  So we shelved that idea and said Maybe one day.

We began to talk about our dreams last May as we drove across half the US.  As we traversed through country where the earth meets the sky, I felt a peace come over me.  I looked at my husband and said, "What if one day never happens?  What is holding us back?  Our kids are 12, 10, and 7 if we don't do this soon, we're going to miss the one chance in their lives to do this with them."

As I mentioned before, we aren't big risk takers.  I'm a pleaser and I like to stay in the "norm." All of our friends live in neighborhoods with sidewalks and streetlights.  It would be a giant step of craziness faith.  We knew many people wouldn't understand.  We knew it might even cost us some friendships.  We also knew that dreams don't happen without taking the first step.

The hardest part of making the decision was fear of hurting my parents.  We have had the privilege of living next door to them for the past 10 years.  It has been 10 years of blessings.  What a joy to watch my littles walk next door to see Mimi and Papa!  I have cried a river over this part of our decision.  I hate being the cause of hurt.

So we laid it at the feet of Jesus and simply said, "Show us."

Come back tomorrow and I'll share just what He showed.  ;)

4 comments:

ashley said...

1. I became giddy when I saw that you had finally posted again! :) Can't wait to hear more!
2. Love your new spring blog look!
3. You look about 20 years old in your new picture. :)

Christina said...

In case I've neglected to tell you before....I love reading your blog. God has given you such a way with words. Always an encouragement! I can't wait to read the rest of this series....

KR said...

TOMORROW?! That's the problem with checking your blog every day. I truly have to wait 'til tomorrow. Not. That. Patient.

truth in weakness said...

LOVE your new pic, although GIRL, you're so photogenic i don't think i've ever seen a bad one of you.

but back on point . . . love hearing the God story behind His leading, & i'm so challenged by your conversation of abandon during your road trip. sheesh, i barely think about dreams, let alone what's holding me back. i'm just happy to get through the day in one piece. lol. ;)

but really, i'm so challenged by that, & i just so happen to know a man who would LOVE to talk dreams. b/c he actually DOES have a beautiful gift of knowing how to dream (reason #1382 why he's so very GOOD for me!!).

thx, as always, for sharing your beautiful story. looking fwd to the next chapter!