Scripture says if we have faith, even just a little bit of faith, it will happen. And we believe.
Last week was the official start to the barn renovation project on The Bean Farm. After all the planning, dreaming & discussion it took to get us to this point, I sort of expected a grand entrance to commemorate the official start of this faith walk. Maybe some of that stand-at-attention, triumphant music with trumpets, or horns of some other sort. I expected to hear the band play as all the trucks (at least four or five) pull in, kicking up dusty gravel, circling around the farmstead before coming to a stop in front of Faith Barn. Now that would have been cool. But it didn't happen that way. Truth is, I wasn't even here when they arrived. Instead of a convoy of trucks, Gary and Mike drove a single truck (not several). If there would have been some sort of grand entrance like my mind had conjured up, I'd have missed it. I wasn't even home. By the time I got here, they had worked their way down to part of the foundation that could be saved. They had already pulled out most of the loose limestone on the north side. I wanted to yell, "Stop! You can't start until the band gets here!" but it seemed a little self-serving to ask such a thing.
Although I had envisioned a sea of workers hustling from post to beam, hammers hammering, compressors compressing or at least some sort of construction-y noise...these fellas went together as well as a Hawkeye sweatshirt and Levi jeans. They had a friendly, fun-poking kind of banter between the two of them.
By the time I arrived, they'd already met Margaret the two-foot tall pygmy goat with an eight foot tall attitude. She introduced herself by repeatedly ramming her head into Garry's thigh. They'd also met (and been spooked by) Little Black, our sweetest barn cat. When she jumped out of a broken board in the barn, it was hard for Mike to ignore her presence. I could tell they'd love it here.
Although there was no fanfare like I'd dreamed up, my first meeting with the guys was far better. These two guys are salt of the earth sort of guys. Not only are they skilled in limestone and mortar but also skilled in the art of conversation. And they're here because that's exactly the way it was meant to be. By the time I reached the house after meeting them, ashmedly, I understood that my dreams of some grand "barn kick-off" was just that. MY dream, not His. Not the vision of our almighty "General Contractor."
This barn renovation is being conducted through His command, not mine. Still, I mean, if it'd been done my way, I wouldn't have seen any harm with just a couple horns, maybe just two trucks and...well, you get the point. I just dig that sort of excitement. However, my thoughts aren't His thoughts and He doesn't do things with horns & grandeur.
He did his work quietly, without drawing attention. He let others come to Him to see what he was building rather than a convoy announcing the works He was about to do. Jesus allows us to find Him with no need for banners and snazzy advertisements that proclaim all His works. He is unassuming, quietly humble about what He did. Jesus didn't need a Press Release. He was totally chill about all His works. So, faith Lesson #1 at The Bean Farm.
"Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6:1
So The Lord perfectly sent us Gary and Mike. They are a great fit for our farm.
The walls look solid again.
Aligned.
Sturdy. A place to build from.
We are blessed!
A photo of one of the restored walls is below. Also included is a photo of Garry and Mike and Ms. Daisy in the background.
Blessings from The Bean Farm
Last week was the official start to the barn renovation project on The Bean Farm. After all the planning, dreaming & discussion it took to get us to this point, I sort of expected a grand entrance to commemorate the official start of this faith walk. Maybe some of that stand-at-attention, triumphant music with trumpets, or horns of some other sort. I expected to hear the band play as all the trucks (at least four or five) pull in, kicking up dusty gravel, circling around the farmstead before coming to a stop in front of Faith Barn. Now that would have been cool. But it didn't happen that way. Truth is, I wasn't even here when they arrived. Instead of a convoy of trucks, Gary and Mike drove a single truck (not several). If there would have been some sort of grand entrance like my mind had conjured up, I'd have missed it. I wasn't even home. By the time I got here, they had worked their way down to part of the foundation that could be saved. They had already pulled out most of the loose limestone on the north side. I wanted to yell, "Stop! You can't start until the band gets here!" but it seemed a little self-serving to ask such a thing.
Although I had envisioned a sea of workers hustling from post to beam, hammers hammering, compressors compressing or at least some sort of construction-y noise...these fellas went together as well as a Hawkeye sweatshirt and Levi jeans. They had a friendly, fun-poking kind of banter between the two of them.
By the time I arrived, they'd already met Margaret the two-foot tall pygmy goat with an eight foot tall attitude. She introduced herself by repeatedly ramming her head into Garry's thigh. They'd also met (and been spooked by) Little Black, our sweetest barn cat. When she jumped out of a broken board in the barn, it was hard for Mike to ignore her presence. I could tell they'd love it here.
Although there was no fanfare like I'd dreamed up, my first meeting with the guys was far better. These two guys are salt of the earth sort of guys. Not only are they skilled in limestone and mortar but also skilled in the art of conversation. And they're here because that's exactly the way it was meant to be. By the time I reached the house after meeting them, ashmedly, I understood that my dreams of some grand "barn kick-off" was just that. MY dream, not His. Not the vision of our almighty "General Contractor."
This barn renovation is being conducted through His command, not mine. Still, I mean, if it'd been done my way, I wouldn't have seen any harm with just a couple horns, maybe just two trucks and...well, you get the point. I just dig that sort of excitement. However, my thoughts aren't His thoughts and He doesn't do things with horns & grandeur.
He did his work quietly, without drawing attention. He let others come to Him to see what he was building rather than a convoy announcing the works He was about to do. Jesus allows us to find Him with no need for banners and snazzy advertisements that proclaim all His works. He is unassuming, quietly humble about what He did. Jesus didn't need a Press Release. He was totally chill about all His works. So, faith Lesson #1 at The Bean Farm.
"Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6:1
So The Lord perfectly sent us Gary and Mike. They are a great fit for our farm.
The walls look solid again.
Aligned.
Sturdy. A place to build from.
We are blessed!
A photo of one of the restored walls is below. Also included is a photo of Garry and Mike and Ms. Daisy in the background.
Blessings from The Bean Farm
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