I know everyone fights the priorities of life as they go through many stages. When I was young, I was certain that every major decision in my life would be settled by the time I was 40 years old. I thought by that time life would be routine. That is what I wanted, anyway. We go through the young married stage, having children, raising children, being empty nesters, facing middle age and then old age. Priorities constantly change. What we think is important at one stage is no longer necessary at a later age.
Of course, when we marry, many decisions are not ours alone. Life is constantly changing with jobs, relocation and circumstances. Ron always wanted to do mission work from our early married days. He decided to do it in 1984. We gave up good-paying jobs because our children were educated and we didn't need that much money any more. We were in our 40's, had little savings because we had spent what we earned owning a house and sending our children to private schools and university. We had no retirement but we were young and healthy and knew we were able to work and care for ourselves, the Lord willing. We went a lot on FAITH. We did not know how anything would work out but we both knew we could still get jobs if we needed to.
Our work took us to the Caribbean for seven years, to Montreal, Quebec for seven years, back to Nashville for seven years and now we have been working in China for eleven years. The small beginning in China has turned into a huge undertaking. With six orphanages open and 650 children to care for, the fund-raising in today's economy has become a major task for Ron.
Our son, Ronald, lost his job about two years ago. He went to work with our orphanges in China one year ago and is doing such an excellent job, Ron does not need to make as many trips to China as before. Ronald was given the responsibility of the maintenance, remodeling and building of orphanages. He is now taking over the supervision of all of the care centers, hiring and training staff. He's written a procedure manual which is very comprehensive and much needed so each care center director and worker knows what is expected of them.
With Ronald in place in China and doing an excellent job, we are now traveling in an RV to raise funds and report to churches that support our work.
This was not one of those things I expected in life. My idea of camping was Holiday Inn when you could not stay at the Hilton. Actually, I don't need an expensive hotel - only cleanliness. But, if you travel all the time, moving your stuff in and out of hotels and having to eat all your meals out, it does get tiresome and boring.
I was not in favor of buying an RV. It seemed to me that we were too old to be taking up this mode of travel. I've been close to a nervous wreck many times, but as Ron gets more efficient with driving and I get less nervous about it, it's not so bad. I have made up my mind that I will enjoy it. I prefer being home. I cannot imagine anyone doing this for fun. I, actually, don't call it an RV any longer because there's no recreation to it. It is a motor home. It is a small home away from home. Yet, I am so very blessed. We have everything we need and much more than we deserve. A friend posted on Facebook that she awoke and started counting her blessings and could have stayed in bed all day. That is so true for all of us. We are so blessed!
I will never forget reading a story about a little lady that was growing old and knew she could no longer drive or care for herself. She made arrangements to move into a nursing home. She got rid of her stuff and turned her house over to a realtor to sell. She packed her bag and called a taxi. She had the taxi driver take her through town, by the first place she and her husband lived, by the church she attended and a few other places that held a lot of significent in her life. When she arrived at the nursing home, they welcomed her and told her they hoped she would be happy there. She said, "Oh, I will." The attendant was a bit shocked because no one wants to go to a nursing home. She questioned the lady saying, "But, you have not even seen your room yet." The lady replied, "It does not matter about the room; I've already made up my mind to be happy."
This story is very true. We can make up our minds to be happy. How many of us actually get everything we want in life? And, those that do get everything are not usually any happier. Happiness is a state of mind and if we do not set our minds on things we can't have, we won't be disappointed.
It has been an uphill battle for me the past several months as I learned we were going to be living in an RV most of the time and traveling from city to city. It's not easy and it's not home. But, I've made up my mind to be happy.
I know that life is constantly changing. None of us know what tomorrow will bring. We could find a millionaire this weekend that would finance our work without us working so hard, but most likely, we will have to do this for several years. If our health permits, we will continue to work for the sake of the little orphans. We will be busy until we are called home or disabled from doing the work working, whichever comes first.
We are so grateful to our workers, our supporters who help with the work but we are also very grateful to our own children that work with us (Ronald and our daughter, Leigh Ann) and allows us to give up our life at home to do this work. They both hold a compassion for the orphan children just as we do.
Whether you live in a million dollar mansion, a one-bedroom apartment or an RV, happiness is in the mind of the beholder. God has blessed us in different ways and with different talents. We will one day account to him as to how we have used those talents and spent our time and money. I hope he will find us faithful in spite of my fear of traveling in an RV and my desire to be at home.
I bought a cookbook yesterday. (I am now doing my shopping at Camping World.) I have three cabinets full of them at home but I'll give them away soon. The one I bought is called, "The Open Road Cookbook" for RVer's boaters and campers. I am learning to cook simple but healthy meals again.
The writer of the cookbook quotes a poem her mother wrote that touched my heart:
The Supreme Architect
It isn't so much the house that counts
as the people who live inside.
For houses can burn and tumble down,
or be swept away with the tide.
The furniture, too, can go out of style
and become shabby-looking over time.
But, the abode shouldn't matter to those in
a house; rather, it's keeping the soul
sublime.
For, after this life, when we crumble to
dust as time continues to go endlessly by,
The Supreme Architect, who created this world
has a mansion waiting for us in the sky.
-Agnes Carrington McAndrews
We miss our friends and we miss our church family. Whatever is right around the corner will be another surprise and another adjustment in life, one way or another. Nothing ever stays the same; life is always changing. No matter how good it is today or how bad it is, it will not stay the same. Please keep us in your prayers.
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