The Plumber's Wife
The unexpected blessing of a divine appointment
“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own,' or 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life — the life God is sending one day by day.” -C.S. Lewis
Back at the end of July, we had a plumber scheduled to come out for a quote on extending our water line so we can get water to our animals more efficiently. Not even remembering this appointment (clearly that falls under Brandon’s umbrella, ha), I headed out to the chickens late in the day because it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn’t gone out earlier like I typically do. And since I hadn’t been out there the day before either, I knew the girls (and our roo) would be *very* happy to see me coming with fresh feed and snacks. I finished up that chore, locked the gates back, and then headed to refill the water tank near the road. As I made my way up the driveway, the plumber pulled up in his work van. There in the passenger seat sat his wife.
He parked and his wife hopped out of the van. She was vibrant and trendy, in her cute flowy jumpsuit and oversized aviators. She introduced herself and asked if she could pet our goats, mentioning that her family used to have milk goats of their own. Well, that was all it took to pique my interest so I asked to hear more about it.
It turns out that when she was in need of milk for her young daughter, she sought out goat milk but it was in the next state over. After a while she decided it would make more sense to buy her own dairy goats - so she did! Without any prior experience, her family bought a goat that was already in milk and that very day started milking her. They went on to have more goats and make products with their goat milk to sell at local markets. It became a whole family affair.
“It’s funny,” I told her, “milking our goats has been a tucked away aspiration of mine, but I’ve felt so intimidated by the whole process.” But a renewed interest was sparked hearing about how much it positively impacted her family coupled with the fact that she jumped in without any experience. I added that because our family homeschools and spends a lot of time around our property, I know it’s something we could take on and learn how to do. At that, she said she, too, had homeschooled - all seven of her kids! The youngest is 16 now so most of her kids have already graduated and started their own things.
Side note. Don’t you love those moments? When you’re having a conversation with someone new and then it takes a turn into more - for lack of a better word - ”controversial” territory, but you find that you’re both on the exact same page? Finding a kindred spirit is like discovering a sand dollar in the midst of a thousand tiny broken shells on the shore — it’s a treasure.
We continued to talk for another hour, standing in my driveway in the baking setting sun with the evening bugs biting, covering all things homesteading and homeschooling. We talked about her family’s systems behind raising large numbers of chickens and gardening and generally becoming more self-sufficient. We discussed homeschool philosophies and being misunderstood. Back when she began homeschooling, it was way more difficult than it is now - much more frowned upon, far less resources, and barely any support. She was fairly isolated, but she did not waver in her conviction to take on the full weight of the education of her kids. She was, in a word, inspiring.
Before she and her husband left, she proudly showed me pictures of her kids in all their various elements, thriving. It’s hard for me to describe how deeply encouraged I felt. She got me. She reminded me of the worthiness of it all. A sweet peace and renewed resolve settled over me as we stood there chatting away like fast friends on the playground, and I knew the Lord had set up this divine appointment of encouragement for me.
I still laugh in awe when I think about how that meeting should have never happened. I normally would be inside prepping dinner that time of day, not outside tending to animals. And I normally wouldn’t be the one to greet the plumber. The plumber’s wife doesn’t ride along to all of her husband’s appointments, but she did that day. Not to mention the timing of it, as we were only weeks away from starting our new school year when the Father just dropped down this rain shower of reassurance right on top of me.
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Speaking of rain showers, did you see the footage of the insane double rainbow that appeared in NYC on the 22nd anniversary of September 11th? It was spectacular. The kind of sight that stops you in your tracks — and I didn’t even get to see it in person. Why are we so quick to give coincidence the credit for moments like these? Moments like meeting the plumber’s wife? Why don’t we instead recognize that this is just one more evidence of the Lord showing us His glory?
Let’s stop writing off the very personal ways in which the Lord shows up in our every day. He sees us; He knows our needs and weaknesses intimately. Our doubts and insecurities are plain to Him. And He’s kind to minister to us in those places.
May we be open to unplanned conversations that run into our dinner prep time. May we welcome interruptions and detours in our day. May we yield willingly to the unknown. And in so doing, may we not miss the gift that’s been planted there, just waiting to be unearthed.
What We’ve Been Up To
Over the summer we began prepping our property for a new animal to come to our homestead – a horse! We have jokingly referred to this as Brandon’s mid-life crisis gift to himself - he turns 40 later this month! Brandon built a large lean-to that he will continue to build on to so it can be a stable. We’ve also been taking riding and care/maintenance lessons at a ranch to learn all the horse things, as well as incorporating some horse lessons into our schoolwork.
(not our horse!) Speaking of horses, we went to a local rodeo in July as a family and it was quite the adventure. It stormed at the beginning and then it steadily rained throughout the remainder of the rodeo. All two hours of it — we were utterly soaked. Regardless, the kids sat with rapt attention through the entire thing – such troopers and absolutely loved it. Aven’s favorite was the talented trick rider, while Elowyn and Finn both loved the bull riding.
Following the rodeo, the kids have fully taken on cowboy and cowgirl personalities. Finn bought a lasso with his own money that he uses around the house, roping his sisters and any toy that can be a makeshift calf. Elowyn likes to barrel race her stick horse around my kitchen barstools while Aven keeps time and cheers her on. It’s the best.
Chicken update // Most of our hens are laying now, and we’re getting such pretty eggs: some tan, some pale blue, and some pale green. We extended the run to help accommodate all the hens and our one rooster (that was a surprise, by the way) and they seem much happier.
Homeschool is off to a really good start this year. We’re using Beautiful Feet Books: American History as our base as well as reading back through the Little House on the Prairie series. (I can detail out our other curriculum choices in a later newsletter if you’re interested, just let me know). Our co-op is thriving, with about 30 families involved, and those relationships have become invaluable to myself and my kids.
What I’m Loving
My hydrangeas that the kids got me for Mother’s Day bloomed out beautifully at the end of the summer. We have a variety of blooms: blue, blue-purple, and even pink. I want the whole perimeter of my house covered in hydrangea! I just love them.
Instituting quiet time after lunch // Whyyy have I never done this before? Around 1:00, the kids go hang out in their rooms for about 45 minutes to an hour. It’s a much-needed reset. I’ve noticed a big difference in how this affects their dynamic for the remainder of the day. It’s also been really helpful for me to have some alone time – in fact, that’s how I’ve been able to get this newsletter written!
Punch card brilliance // My sweet friend and fellow homeschool mom Christina listened patiently as I detailed my struggle with a certain child’s attitude toward a particular subject. She helped me troubleshoot, mentioning that she had started using punch cards for addressing issues in her own homeschool. I ended up giving each kid a punch card for them to work toward a goal I set for them. We brainstormed a fun reward that they’ll get once they receive 10 punches on the card. They picked an ice cream outing and specified TWO scoops of ice cream :)
Y’all know I love a podcast, and especially a deep one that leaves me thinking. Most recently, the one I keep thinking about is by Lila Rose called “Is Manhood Under Attack?” It’s a deep dive into the history of masculinity, and how mens’ roles in their homes and families have evolved with technological advancements and the modern age. It’s information I never knew and it’s fascinating!
A prayer to take with you:
God, thank you for seeing me. For knowing my needs, doubts, insecurities, and weaknesses and meeting me there. Thank you for encouraging me in a personal way — help me to not miss these moments. Help me to be gracious in times of interruptions or changes in schedule, and help me make space to see your glory. Amen.
Thank you for reading! As always, you can reply to this email or leave a comment on the post. Please pass it on to a friend if you’d like!
In His radiance,
Shanna
Beautifully insightful and encouraging!