As
Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees
before him.
“Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to
inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good
– except God alone.
You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do
not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do
not defraud, honor your
father and mother.'”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was
a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him.
“One thing you lack,” he
said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor,
and you
will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man's face fell.
He went away sad, because he had
great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
“How
hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words.
But Jesus said again,
“Children, how hard it is to
enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom
of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other,
“Who
then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“With man this is impossible,
but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10:17-27
Shortly after Trent's accident, and his
glorious welcome into Heaven, the treasures of this world began to
pale in comparison to what was waiting ahead for me in eternity. The
material possessions that I had previously held on to so tightly in
this life soon revealed themselves to be anchors that were holding me
back from serving God. Along with those thoughts, a great conviction
that none of this world's hoarded wealth would go with me into Heaven
began to consume my thinking.
A lifestyle that had taken years to establish
was shattered in a single day when I saw all too clearly that my
efforts had been poured into building my own kingdom rather than
God's. My eyes were suddenly opened to understand the opportunity
that stood right before me through
Jesus' offer when He said,
“Do
not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust
destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for
yourselves treasures in Heaven,
where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21
After
reading the challenging words of Scripture, it was easy to trust my
Savior for this promise, too. The
conviction caused me to start praying for God to
take the farm, along with its
financial burden and consuming claim on our time, if that was His
will.
Two
years later He revealed to us that it was His will. In a beautifully
laid out plan, Rob and I were directed to a little plot of land that
instantly felt like home. In a step of faith, even before any
contracts were signed, we started selling the animals and farm
equipment until we had raised enough money to pay cash for our
soon-to-be lake view paradise.
Then, in a perfectly chaotic God plan that included another ample
step of faith, we were led to purchase a home to be brought to the
new property in a whirlwind fashion. Rather than moving us
immediately, though, God allowed a sabbatical of many months to say
goodbye to our beloved crazy farm; a much needed rest to prepare us
for the work that He has planned for our future. Now, the
anticipation runs high in our family to see how God is going to
finish the story of our lives. My greatest desire is that it will be
in a way that we can uninhibitedly be poured out to advance His
kingdom.
To God be the glory!
I can't wait for the adventure to begin! Prayers and well wishes from the Mitten State!
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