Eight months ago, when we began this new adventure, we believed that we were building a business. We thought that this chapter of our life would center around building a future, not only for ourselves, but also for our children. We knew that we would work hard, pull together, and create something out of nothing. And that, we have done. However, God has done so much more.....
Our lives have been turned upside-down, and every step of the way we have seen the fingerprints of God. Little Shouse on the Prairie sold, when, in fact, that was impossible. The ONLY commercial real estate in the small town where I grew up was owned by a man that I graduated from High School with, and he just happened to be willing to sell. We had a home to move in to, that just a year ago wasn't even here. And we had son whom doctors said would never see or walk or hear, not only willing but able to take the lead and run a butcher shop. God provided us with a Brother (our pastor) who worked with us EVERY day, for 4 months, rebuilding our dilapidated service station, and He provided my father who engineered our entire rail system. Every step of the way God made the impossible possible. And every step of the way, we would worry and stress and worry some more.
 |
| Master Hand Grenade bossing the job |
As we walked through the terrifying unknown, we began to call upon the name of the Lord, not just day by day, but minute by minute. We began to know that we, indeed, were the same, scared, unfaithful children that the Children of Israel had been during their exodus from Egypt. Every step of the way God had shown Himself faithful, leading us with His mighty right hand. And every step of the way, we had continued to worry and fuss, showing ourselves to be faithless children.
 |
| Cutting the wall to put in a door |
 |
| Putting our in our 4 foot by 11 foot cooler door!! |
And then, finally, I looked at Sir Knight and said "I don't believe that God is building a business, I believe that He is building men". All of the construction and the planning and the stress and the worry was nothing but God's way of building our family into children that seek after Him, that know His goodness and His faithfulness. During the course of the last 8 months, we have traded stress and worry for peace and faith. Numerous times over the summer and fall Sir Knight and I would look at each other and say in awe and amazement "We are standing on dry ground". Every problem, every impossibility, every struggle - we walked through on dry ground. As we put the last rail into place, the last FRP panel on the wall, I turned to Sir Knight and said...."We are not just standing on dry ground, we truly are standing on Holy ground".
We have crossed the Red Sea, but there is a great expanse of Wilderness in front of us. We are a brand new business, and there is a famine - but we are putting our trust in the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. God isn't in the business of building businesses, He is in the business of building men. And as He builds this family, we truly are standing on Holy Ground.
