Faith For a Farm . . .

For many years we dreamed of a country home where our three boys could have some wide open spaces to play and explore. My husband would imagine late summer nights, catching up with our sons around a bonfire. I dreamt of a place where the kids could play freely without me yelling, “Car!” every few minutes. (The last road we lived on had become increasingly busy... and yes, I do tend to "helicopter", but with three boys and several trips to the ER under our belts, I appreciate your understanding!) 

We hoped for a mini-farm where we could learn together the joy and responsibilities of caring for some animals… (Welcome, more chaos, welcome. Or as we prefer to call it -  "Simple", country living.) We were looking for a place with additional outdoor space that would be inviting for our extended family and friends.

Over the years, we looked at many houses, but the doors always seemed to close due to possible job relocation, finances, timing, didn’t quite feel right, etc. During this time, I struggled because I knew I had so much to be thankful for and didn’t want to be materialistic…yet the dream for a change in lifestyle for our family was so strong, I could almost taste it. The challenge was to continue to hope, dream, and trust without becoming discouraged or discontent.

When we were shown this home – with over two acres of mostly fenced, flat land, a charming country house, a barn, and a chicken coop – we knew that this was it. It was all that we had hoped for! And can I tell you how glad we were that none of those other places had worked out? It was truly worth the wait. We moved in the week before Thanksgiving. Though I know happiness is not a place, hardly a day goes by that I haven’t whispered a prayer of thanks.

What about you? Do you prefer the people and energy of the city, tranquility in the "true" country ("the boondocks") or maybe like we've found… a little piece of country, close to town?