I did actually live there briefly for the better part of first grade and loved it. Loved, loved, loved it, but my mom remarried my dad and back to St. Louis we went. I still spent quite a bit of time in the country visiting my grandparents. I spent summers and my spring breaks with them. My happiest, most treasured childhood memories happened there.
Time went on and I grew up. My grandparents died. I came very close to moving to the country when I was around 20 years of age. My grandparent's house had been on the market and had not sold, so I was going to move in it, but my mom scared me out of it. A life of factory work and late night break-ins made me choose to stay with her and my father.
College, marriage, and children filled in a lot of years. I still went to the country. I would camp, hike, and play in the rivers. I introduced my friends, husband, and my children to this very special place. They, too, loved it. Of course, not as much as I do.
A few years ago, my dear Aunt Georgie, who was married to my grandma's brother, passed away. I spent four days in the country reconnecting with family and my favorite surroundings. That experience re-awoke my desire to move there once and for all. Really truly live there, grow there, and never have to leave again to go "home". I want the country to be my home for keeps. I have cried almost every time I have left Eminence to return to St. Louis since I was five years old. I still cry when I leave. I never want to cry about leaving again.
Ever since my desire to move has returned, I've talked, prayed, and planned the move like it's really happening. I've read books like Root Cellaring and Living on an Acre. I read the town's tiny local paper on line weekly. I've been looking for land and touring areas unfamiliar to me. I pray about the move and how to prepare for the move. I've discussed this move, argued about it, and defended it.
This has gone on for almost two years now. During this time, I felt like I got a word from God that said that I would be living in the country in 2 years. I wish I would have written down the date I got that word! I think the end of 2009 or early 2010 is the date.
I also got another word from God saying to, "Bloom where you're planted". At first, I was like, "Huh?!". I'm not a huge fan of such sayings, but I have come (I think) to understand and appreciate the wisdom of this word. I feel like I'm supposed to bloom or live fully where I am. I believe that while I'm in this waiting phase, I need to choose to live in the here and now and intentionally grow and not wait to grow somewhere else.
All of this leads me to this past Sunday (1-18-09). We have been without a church for almost a year. As we left our church, that church merged with a sister church, creating a new church. Audrey begged and pleaded with me to take her there Sunday morning. So I did. After worship, a woman shared a vision she had that really spoke to me.
Her vision was of a person who had a bunch of little clay pots sitting on a cookie sheet. In each pot, the person had planted a prayer, hope, dream. The person looked over the pots, waiting to see growth. Time went on and nothing was happening, but the person had faith. One day, the person got the idea to change the location of where the clay pots were and place them outside where they received sun. And they grew.
My mom was sitting next to me at church and she looked at me, and not knowing of the first word I received, said she thought this word was about my dream of moving to the country. Oh, how this gave me hope! I try and understand the words God has given to me. I hope that I interpret them correctly. For now, I will have faith, continue to pray, and bloom right where I am planted while waiting for my dream to finally come to fruition.
I also got another word from God saying to, "Bloom where you're planted". At first, I was like, "Huh?!". I'm not a huge fan of such sayings, but I have come (I think) to understand and appreciate the wisdom of this word. I feel like I'm supposed to bloom or live fully where I am. I believe that while I'm in this waiting phase, I need to choose to live in the here and now and intentionally grow and not wait to grow somewhere else.
All of this leads me to this past Sunday (1-18-09). We have been without a church for almost a year. As we left our church, that church merged with a sister church, creating a new church. Audrey begged and pleaded with me to take her there Sunday morning. So I did. After worship, a woman shared a vision she had that really spoke to me.
Her vision was of a person who had a bunch of little clay pots sitting on a cookie sheet. In each pot, the person had planted a prayer, hope, dream. The person looked over the pots, waiting to see growth. Time went on and nothing was happening, but the person had faith. One day, the person got the idea to change the location of where the clay pots were and place them outside where they received sun. And they grew.
My mom was sitting next to me at church and she looked at me, and not knowing of the first word I received, said she thought this word was about my dream of moving to the country. Oh, how this gave me hope! I try and understand the words God has given to me. I hope that I interpret them correctly. For now, I will have faith, continue to pray, and bloom right where I am planted while waiting for my dream to finally come to fruition.
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