Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Living Inside the Blessing

We have officially been innkeepers for a week now, and everything has been going wonderfully. The place is absolutely beautiful, and we are still having a hard time wrapping our minds around this incredible blessing from the Lord. At times it almost feels too good to be true. There is still so much to learn, but thankfully we have plenty of time to grow into it.

We welcomed our first guests last Wednesday, and I made breakfast for them. They made it easy by requesting turkey bacon and cheese omelets, so I added some fruit and muffins and called it done. They seemed very pleased. I put on some soft classical music, sat and talked with them for a bit, and genuinely enjoyed the whole experience. It was a wonderful “first” in every way.

We hosted the last wedding of the season this past weekend, and at this point there are no reservations scheduled for the rest of the year. Apparently, this is the slow season for this bed and breakfast. For now, I’ve been cleaning, organizing, and preparing everything for the busy season. There is still plenty to do, but my hope is that by the end of the year everything will be ready—at least by my standards.

I’ve been getting up at 6:30 each morning to spend time with the Lord before the day begins, but I’m considering moving that to 6:00 because I still feel like I need more time. There were a couple of days when I woke up at 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. and had so much time with Him that I think I spoiled myself. Unfortunately, I can’t do that every day—unless God miraculously sustains me! 

Fall has arrived quickly. The air is crisp, the trees are changing colors, and there’s that unmistakable scent of autumn everywhere. I love this season. The inn has a lovely gas fireplace, and I’ve been lighting it in the mornings while sipping hot lemon water and studying with the Lord. It’s incredibly cozy, and I’m soaking it all in.

I was talking with G the other day about how amazing God is and how blessed we are to be here. She shared that she often talks about us with her friends and says that while she’s heard many people say they have faith, we are the only ones she’s seen truly walking it out. That felt like such a compliment, but it also made me uncomfortable. I know that none of this is about our faithfulness—it’s about God’s. So I told her that I don’t see this journey as a reflection of our faith so much as a testimony to God’s faithfulness toward us. My prayer is that others would learn to trust Him more by watching what He does in our lives.

And once again, God showed His faithfulness this week—this time through tires. One of our back tires had a slow leak, and we’d been filling it with air every other day. Then last Friday, Tom came home from a breakfast meeting and said he’d had to change a flat tire. I assumed the back tire had finally given out, but instead he said, “Nope—the front tire blew.” I could only shake my head and trust that God had a plan for provision.

Later that day, while I was washing bird baths and getting them ready for a wedding, I clearly heard the words, “Call SK.” That felt strange, since we’ve been very intentional about following God's instructions to trust HIM and not asking people for help. Still, SK has often told us to let him know if we ever need anything. I mentioned it to Tom and asked him to pray about it, then placed the situation in both his and God’s hands. Tom emailed him, simply sharing the need and asking him to pray. We trusted that if God said no, SK would say no—and that provision would come another way. Instead, he called us back and offered to cover the cost of the tires. Thank You, Jesus, for Your perfect and unexpected provision.

E and I planted her fall garden last Tuesday, and I’m excited to see how it grows. I’ve talked with the inn owner about starting a garden here as well and even staked out a spot, but I’ve decided to wait until spring. Working in E’s garden reminded me just how much effort it takes, so I’m praying for wisdom and balance as I consider adding more responsibilities.

I had dinner with friends last week, and one of them shared that she joined a grain co-op and now mills her own grain and bakes her own bread. I was instantly jealous. I started imagining how wonderful it would be to serve freshly milled, homemade bread to our guests. I have so many ideas swirling around—but I know I need to be careful not to run ahead of the Lord. Just because something is good doesn’t mean it’s best. Lord, help me wait for Your direction rather than assuming I already know what You want.

Tom is thrilled to have plenty of “fix-it” projects around the inn. He loves that kind of work and is enjoying the sense of productivity. He’s already completed several projects that have made the place even nicer, and it’s been a joy to watch him come alive in this way.

We’ve already had W and little A come visit, and they both love it—especially the “Mickey” room. They’re already talking about staying the night someday. Now we just need to get E and A here to see it too. I had hoped we could host Thanksgiving here, but they aren’t available this year. Still, we’re making plans for the holidays. A and C invited us to join C’s family again for Christmas Eve, and then we’ll spend Christmas Day with E’s family. It’s hard to believe the holidays are already so close—time really is flying by.

Father, thank You for all You have done, are doing, and will continue to do. Help us to carry Your kingdom perspective into everything we say and do here. May we be a blessing to the inn owners, the guests, and every person who walks through these doors. Let them feel Your presence and leave with Your peace, joy, and love. In Jesus’ name, amen.