our new surprise...chasing what matters..parable of the sower

In the previous month, we've had many requests as to what our surprise is that "makes us smile". We got many many inquires as to if we are pregnant, but seriously people, if you know us very well at all, you know that this isn't a goal for Matt and I currently at the moment. We're completely content with it just being us. No kids in our near future, unless God blesses us with a surprise! But we did want to update all of you out there in cyberspace that may not know. Our surprise is: We closed on our first home!!!

On May 15th, 2008 Matt and I sat down at the closing table, wonderng what we were getting ourselves into. I was completely out of breath and nervous that we were making a big mistake, much to Matthew's embarrassement sitting next to me. I really could hardly breathe! We had seen this house back in the beginning of March, only four days after it went on the market. Within a week we put an offer in and the seller accepted. Since then it's been a matter of time doing inspections and getting repairs done.
About two weeks before we closed, Matthew and I both started to fall into the trap of "We need this, and we need that". We made a HUGE wish list of all the items that we "supposedly" needed, but as we were walking through Lowe's one evening, I know the Holy Spirit stunned my heart. Why all of a sudden do I think I need these items? Of course there are some staple items like a lawnmower, a big waste can (which we hope to not fill too often), and some clippers for the weeds and small unwanted trees. But do we really need a wheelbarrow? Do I really need a big tall ladder?
I started painting the ceiling last Friday, and the realization came into my head. I need a ladder. But then my Spirit started to provoke me to think about what the money to buy a ladder could go for. I have a chair. I can paint the ceiling with a chair. Of course, I'll have to get up and down and up and down, and I'll get a ton of paint in my hair and on my face. But it's good for my bones to get some exercise. After all we live in a pretty obese nation, I could use the movement.
This makes me think of the commercial that is played so frequently on the televisions. It's a Chase commerical where the wife finally gives in and lets the husband go shop for a new tv to the tune of "I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it NOW". What kind of message is that saying to our children? Does a big screen television really give you fullfillment? If anything it just states what your priorities are in your home. Obviously the tv is a main focal point if you need one the size of the Titanic. Chase has a slogan that says, "Chase what matters." In our society is that what matters? Buying more things is far from chasing freedom. It only pulls the rope tighter.
Our flower beds are going through a sort of overhaul currently. The previous owner(understandably) let the flower beds go, and the weeds at the side and back of the house were litterally up to Matt's waist. The weeds at the back of the property were up and over Matt's shoulders. Matt spent the first week gutting down the major ones (It took him a week, every night!) And last evening I spent some time with my little claw thingy and dug up all the small stubborn weeds. I only got to the corner of our house because it was pretty exhausting. It made me think of the parable of the sower. It says in Matthew 13:22:
"The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the
kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting
more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was
heard, and nothing comes of it."
As I was weeding that garden I was usuing my claw thing and scraping and scraping dirt from that root. I used my spade and dug down deep. I had my little garden gloves and pulled and pulled on those roots with all my strength. I seriously felt like my eyeballs were bulging. No matter how hard I grunted, how many times I yelled and called it "stupid", some just wouldn't budge. On some I even had to get the shovel and dig the whole thing up instead of pulling. Once the root sprung up from the soil, the little veins and mud stuck to those veins told the entire story. Those roots didn't want to let go, just like the weeds of worry and doubt don't want me to find freedom in Christ as Christ intends and for the reason He came. To set us all free. So chasing what brings freedom isn't buying more items and racking up a huge bill that I can't pay. Having freedom is living in the simplicity of the blessings that Christ has already blessed you with.
Since we purchased this new home, and our prayers for this have been answered, I've been finding it difficult to find things to pray for. My life is overflowing with blessings. The hard times that I've posted in earlier blogs don't seem so heavy. And I've come to learn that my God isn't a God that needs for me to beg to Him for the needs that we have. Once I've uplifted them once, he knows my heart. He will do what he says and promises in due time. Joy complete.