When we moved into this old farmhouse in Ephrata, I asked God for at least 10 years here.
We had just sold our home of 6 years in downtown Lancaster and were looking for a place to rent. Through our then next-door neighbors, we were connected with this farmhouse in Ephrata.
I didn’t want to move to Ephrata.
Ephrata doesn’t have the cultural diversity that I loved about Lancaster city. However, we set up an appointment to look at this farmhouse.
There were only a few specifics that we asked God for in our new home:
1 – enough acreage for the kids to ‘grow up outside’ and raise some animals
2 – a place where I could see the sunrise
3 – a rental price that our budget could sustain
We did a walk-through with the property manager, and while all 3 specifics were met, my heart sank as we viewed the house. It was smaller than what we currently had, much older, and every single interior wall and ceiling was layered in wallpaper. Wallpaper! Even the bathrooms! The worst thing about it was that much of the wallpaper was peeling off in generous strips and would need to be torn off.
While the owner wasn’t interested in improving the interior, (given the charitable rent price of $600 per month) he agreed to supply paint if we wished to paint the interior.
Dave did not seem bothered in the least about the house, because each of our ‘God-requests’ were so obviously answered. He all but said “We’ll take it!” that very day while I hedged with a “We’ll think about it and get back to you.”
I had a newborn at the time and felt overwhelmed by the enormity of fixing up the rental house while packing up our Lancaster house.
For the next month, Dave spent nearly every evening and weekend at the farmhouse. With the kind help of family, much of the house was stripped of wall paper, then patched and painted. We moved in and set up house.
This is now our ninth summer here. This home has been an incredible gift in every way. The house is still small – we cannot host well in the winter because there simply isn’t room for more than 10 people at one time in the house – but we certainly make up for it in the summer. We love to host gatherings and parties outside on the large lawn.
The more I look in the details, the more of Your goodness I find.
1 – This is a 68-acre farm; we live and have our dwelling on 10 acres of it. A large pasture for steers and chickens. An old dairy barn for pigs and any other animal we want and SO MUCH storage space! A garden as big as we desire, and acres of space for the kids to ‘grow up outside’.
2 – I not only get to view the sunrise, but the sunset as well! Imagine that! God is so awesome.
3 – Rent is still $600. Crazy, isn’t it? Only God can do things like that.
4 – We’re going on 10 years in residence here!
The point in all this is: looking back at the details in life, the more of God’s goodness I find.
We see things not as they are, but as we are.
If my practice is to find gifts in each day, both past and present, I am overwhelmed by the goodness of God. Especially in the details. =) It feels like the verse in Deut. 28:2a which states:
…Blessings will pursue you and forcibly overtake you.
The song Counting My Blessings by Seph Schlueter rings true in my heart:
It’s like it was yesterday, I was praying for a miracle
Scared to have a little hope
And now, looking back today, seeing all the things You’ve done
I can’t even add them up
One, two, three
Up to infinity
I’d run out of numbers
Before I could thank You for everything
God, I’m still counting my blessings
All that You’ve done in my life
The more that I look in the details
The more of Your goodness I find…
And I know that seasons never last forever
So, God, I will remember
All of the reasons my heart has to be grateful
All the times You’ve been faithful to me.
Look closely at the details of your life; recognize that the Father’s fingerprints are everywhere. His goodness grows as we search for gifts! And, just as important, share those goodness nuggets with someone else. Share the blessing, because a joy shared is joy doubled.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will [energetically] pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the presence of the LORD forever.
Psalm 23:6 NLT