Our BIG plan

So I've written about our big adventure in my last post, but didn't elaborate beyond us selling the house. We're buying a motor home to live in temporarily, and to have a place to come home to. Then in the spring time we'll go off to Japan for 6 month to WWOOF! I am SO excited! So much so, in fact, that I didn't even get depressed as we were going through stuff when my friend came over to sort. You know, like "Clean Sweep" - she was merciless, but I didn't mind. We've started painting the house, getting rid of things, and hopefully will have the house on the market in August.

During this time, I've come to realize that God has really brought out something deeper within that was hindering me before. I had no idea how I restrained myself from hoping to be back in Japan altogether (mainly because it was hopelessly impossible), but I was even more surprised to realize how much I was longing for it. I was so clueless that I was wondering about my 'numbness' and seriously considering counseling. Now that this WWOOFing is going to happen, I feel as though some weight has lifted. PTL! This keeps happening over and over again where the Lord reveals the deepest desires and gives them to me. I've been working hard in being content and thankful with what I do have - he surprised me altogether.

Another thing I've discovered is that this past struggle to realize hubby's dreams was a growing thing for me. The Lord really only needed me to be willing to follow and didn't press me into actually taking the boat trip at this point. How good He is!


As I'm sharing our news with a lot more people, I'm starting to see the bigger picture of what and why we're drawn to this. Both hubby and I have been exploring and learning about issues surrounding "food" mainly because of colon problems in the family. We're incresingly becoming conscious of the need for renewable energy also. During this exploration, we've come aware of something. There is a growing trend within Christians where people that speak up on environmental conservation or food security or sustainable energy and living are perceived to be on the "wrong" path. It is as though the word Environmentalist Christian would be an oxymoron. We recently watched a documentary on global warming where a few Christian are interviewed and she and he were totally ineffective witnesses because they showed themselves poor stewards of what God has entrusted us (nature) and were talking about the salvation in Christ (the Hope).

On one hand, I see the eternal consequences of the perishing souls and the grave necessity for them to know the Hope which we possess. On the other hand, I see the environmentalists (for the lack of better term) taking actions, altering their life styles because of the earthly consequences of the path their previous culture has brought. I admire the environmentalists' straight forwardness because they take seriously the privilege of possessing the life altering knowledge and they make radical changes. I'm sad to admit that, in contrast, most Christians take their saving knowledge much less seriously than these environmentalists do. Not only that, they hurt their own witness by their irresponsible living and making the Salvation their excuse. What is there for them to be attracted to our belief if all they can see is this huge contrast? I'm sure there are environmentalist Christians out there, but sadly they are an anomaly and minority at best. It is very sad to me that there is this gap, and the more I learn the more I yearn to bridge this gulf and communicate the saving knowledge of Jesus and Creator God to these people who treasure the Creation.

I hear all sorts of people using Scripture to justify their life styles of consumption. "We're not suppose to love the world" and even "we're not of this world." But this IS our Father's world. Just because we're here temporarily, shall we trash it? When environmentalists reasonably ask this question, Christians turn around and say things like "how can you understand the things of the Spirit when you're in the world?"

It is just way too sad. We need each other, ya know. We Christians could learn from the environmentalists: taking actions that match our beliefs, taking pride and responsibility in the charge we have by the knowledge we possess, and being tenacious in spreading the word. These are very honorable qualities, but we know it isn't an end. We Christians have so much to give, especially in the light of the Hope we possess. Yet the pipeline is SO clogged. Somehow, I'm praying that God will show us how we can communicate the Truth effectively and make us part of that pipeline.