dreaming
May 17, 2010 | Just thinking out loud,Ministry Life,Nurturing Family
We’ve been on a journey with a very specific goal these past four years. Richard’s carried the heaviest loads in school, and for the past two years worked full-time. Goal? Graduation w/Masters and license in December, 2010.
When we rounded the corner of 2010, suddenly the goal felt like a reality. When he finished this spring semester, one of the most intense yet, the weight lifted a little and dreaming began.
We drove through the community Sunday afternoon looking at land, wondering where we might be able to start a clinic one day. We dreamed about the possibilities of what it might look like, who it might reach, what God wanted and where that might lead.
It feels good to dream.
For those of you who don’t know the story, four years ago I sat on a small dock overlooking a scenic pond. It was my prayer place. I was discouraged, worried about the guy I love. We were making good money. He had a good job. But I knew that the call on Richard’s life was more than just punching in a time clock and receiving a nice paycheck. We prayed about it, and honestly it didn’t make sense to a lot of people, but we sold our home (complete with my scenic dock) and started over. Richard went back to school.
It’s taken a lot of discipline. Richard has pulled incredibly long hours. It meant starting over at a beginning pay level, though we have discovered that God takes care of every need. We feel rich, and it has nothing to do with money.
It’s taken a lot of faith, but trusting God has been a whole other aspect of the adventure and we love it. We’ve both grown spiritually.
The reason I sat on that small dock and prayed is that my husband had stopped dreaming. He felt stuck, but kept on day after day because he’s just that kind of guy. He was taking care of others. Admirable. Faithful. Good-hearted. But I knew that if he stopped dreaming, we’d both lose because I married a dreamer. To lose that aspect was to lose a part of him.
Driving down the road, brainstorming, dreaming, throwing the possibilities out there was not just fun yesterday, but a kiss from heaven.
I have no clue where we’ll be a year from now. Perhaps Richard will be doing exactly what he is right now. Perhaps working with troubled adolescents who just need a little counsel and a new start. Perhaps we’ll be working on painting a barn and creating a sanctuary where families and children can connect with horses in an equine counseling facility.
The truth is we don’t know, but we’re open.
While we wait we’ll keep on dreaming together.
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Your post brought tears to my eyes. It’s such a story of true love–your love for Richard and the love both of you have for God. I think I’m going to go kiss my husband now and ask him about his dreams.
May 18th, 2010 at 7:29 amMy husband has been very supportive of me over the past 5 years as I have worked towards completing my undergrad degree. We have been married almost 30 years and I have been in school off and on for 18 years. His health has recently gone downhill, a stressful job and a 3 hour daily commute. Two weeks ago, he quit his job. Two days later, he fell from a ladder and got hurt. We are now awaiting news if he has to undergo surgery for a torn rotator cuff. We have no money, electing COBRA benefits so we will have insurance for his possible surgery and recovery, I am still recovering from the surgery I had 6 months ago, (I changed my degree during my recovery time because I felt led in a different direction) and it has postponed my grad date. All in all, I know that God is leading me along this path and He is ultimately in control. My husband is a believer, however, that is the extent of it. I want to trust and I want my husband to be able to live his dreams as well. During this time, my husband’s gambling addiction is slowly taking root and digging deeper. I am so afraid of our financial situation. He is now placing bets on the computer during the day while telling me that he can earn money that way. Please pray for our situation.
May 25th, 2010 at 2:22 pm