mobile HOLMES

January 14, 2010 OPPOSITION

Yesterday I was confronted with my first real opposition to our endeavor to RV full time. My mom looked hard at me and said she really hated that we were going to take that trip and wished we would change our minds. She wished she knew what she could say that would talk us out of it. I asked her what her main problem with it was. She looked sternly at me and said, "You have too many kids here to have to help take care of. You have one new grandbaby here and one on the way, and you have Maralyn and Alton (my in-laws) and me! Mark is not in good health and I'm afraid your old truck won't last long and break down on the road." I told her that first, the daughter that has the baby here with us is going back to Tulsa. My oldest daughter can take care of her own family just fine, and the other daughter that is pregnant will be fine as well. And we can always be here when we are needed. She then said we might be too far off to come when needed. I told her that all our kids are supportive of what we are doing. As a matter-of-fact, my in-laws are too. Well, I left there heart sick. I called my oldest daughter and told her what happened. I had already asked her when we first started this idea of rv-ing if we were being selfish. She encouraged me to go for it and that NO, she did not feel it was selfish of us. That we needed to take advantage of the opportunity that God had given us to recover from our stress, enhance our marriage, and be better parents to the 6 year old we are raising. So, once again I was asking my daughter if we were selfish in doing this. She gave me the same answer as before. This morning I realized that it is fear that is driving mom's feelings. All the concerns she mentions comes out of "WHAT IF?" fear. God impressed upon me 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and of a sound mind." It is interesting that is also the verse that was used in the last couple days of email devotions I receive. I view this opportunity as a blessing, or even a reward from God. An opportunity to seek him more, to minister more, and yet to be able to experience the beauty of our great nation that we are so blessed to live in. I also feel God impressing on me the scripture in Luke 9 where the Jesus asked the man to follow him, but he replied, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." Luke 9 - 59 Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." 60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." 61 And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." 62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."Realizing this is not exactly the same situation, but yet I believe that our decision to RV full-time is a God-ordained opportunity. And it is our responsibility to follow His leading. If this is not a God-ordained opportunity, and we are not to take this direction, then it is our prayer that He will shut the door. But as for now, we are following it will our whole heart.