Hello all!!
Thank you for tuning in! I have told you that it was going to get interesting and to stay tuned, so here it is! I am going to move to Sunny Acres soon! I didn't want to announce it until I had told my parents about it. They have been gone for a month on a trip to the southwest. I felt that it was the respectful thing to do to wait until they got back home before I told them. They are the most important people in my life and I love them very much. I told them yesterday and they already had an idea that I may be moving on! I have never made such a large move on my own before. I went away to San Jose State University for 3 years after I graduated from high school in 1979- other than that, I have always been here in Humboldt County (except for being born and living in the Los Angeles area for my first 10 years). If you have been following my blog, this announcement likely does not come as a great surprise. There is a thread in there that can be followed, isn't there? I feel that God has been leading me all along. I felt called to serve more fully and ended up going to Honduras, where I met the Coders and their children. After I got home from that I felt God tell me on that day when I was walking out in the country, "How about walking from here to San Luis Obispo?" I could feel that The Walk was to help out the Coders, but also to build my own faith and courage. The Walk was successful in all three- actually, it was "significant" in all three (have you ever thought about the idea of someone or something being seen as "successful", but what was accomplished really wasn't "significant"? Think about it). The Coders have been praying for God's clarity to be given to me, and so it has been! Thank you Bob, Joyce, Will and the children for praying for me!! God bless you all!
If you recall from my writing that I had had that still, small voice that spoke to me on the northern coast that said, "I'd like to meet a family and sit and eat and talk with them." That evening it happened, and that is how I met my friend Erik Poor- who came through for me in a grand way at the end of my walk in SLO. Later down the coast I had the same voice saying, "I'd like to be taken in by an old rancher." In my mind, what an "old rancher" is is a straight-shooting, no BS kind of guy who is genuine, real and honest. I remember as I walked into SLO that I had the thought, "Hmmmm, I didn't meet that old rancher." As I walked down Los Osos Valley Road on the very last of the home stretch I saw a Christmas tree lot on the left of the highway. I saw an old barn, a bunch of old farm equipment, a produce stand........and I remember thinking, "This place just looks like the real thing. It's not pretentious. It's just what it is." I took a picture of it. Down the road a few hundred yards Erik met me and walked me to his home. As you recall from my writing, days later I mentioned that I was going to stop by that Christmas tree lot to buy my daughter a Christmas tree. One of Erik's roommates said, "Oh, that's Sunny Acres. It's run by Dan DeVaul." Then he told me a little about it. I became interested and decided that I would like to meet Dan. I did. The next day. He asked me if I would like to volunteer. I said yes and I did. After the first week he sat me down and asked if I would be interested in signing on to Sunny Acres permanently! I told him I'd think and pray about it. The next morning I told him yes, and stuck around Sunny Acres for about another week. Then I got cold feet and told him I needed to go back north and see how I felt there. I thought and prayed about it some more, then several weeks later called him up and confirmed my yes. I have been packing and sorting all of my stuff since. I have lived here for 20 years and have a lot of stuff to deal with. I am finding that, like The Walk, the preparation seems to be more stressful than the walk itself. I worried before I went on the Walk. Then what actually happened was that the walking was the best part! I feel that God gave me The Walk to prepare for this new venture. I would never have had the courage to do this sort of thing on my own in the past. All that I have, all that I am, all the courage that I have, all of the faith that I have, is all because of God's mercy, grace, and love that He has shown me. I cannot take any credit for any of it. Thank you Father.
So, what is Sunny Acres? It is a 72 acre ranch that belongs to Dan. About 9 years ago he started Sunny Acres on his own. He is a recovering alcoholic and addict himself. He has literally opened his own home and wallet to help other people in recovery. There are not many people who put their money where their mouth is like Dan does. So I am going there to help Dan. I am going where God has led me. I see that all of who I am- my skills, talents, gifts, faith.....will be called upon to be put to use in this service. Boy am I thankful for that! That in itself was a prayer that I have had for a long time- to serve Him with all that I am. I can see now that I can't even take any credit for my own prayers. They were not mine. I can see now that He gave me my very prayers. Funny how that works.
Sunny Acres grows tomatoes, pumpkins, squash, and other crops to help support itself. They split and sell firewood. Dan believes in recovery through doing useful work. So do I. It is not just a clean and sober living facility, but also takes in homeless people or anyone who needs a place when they have none. It's an incredible place. I am honored to serve.
I will write more later. Keep tuning in for "The rest of the story".............................
I would like your prayers. Thank you.
Sincerely,
God bless,
Craig
No comments:
Post a Comment