"Mobile University"

A quiet afternoon in our “mobile university”.

Mason is seated adjacent to me, picking on his acoustic guitar. I am typing next to our new house plants, feet reclined on the laundry basket of clothes just asking to be washed… as I’ve heard recently, that’s a tomorrow problem. We’ve learned to be functional here.

I called our little home here a “mobile university” because we came here on the intent to learn and grow. A little over a year ago, God had told both Mason and I through a series of dreams, confirmations through scripture, and conversation, that he had plans for us to move into a camper. Yes, you heard that right… a camper.

It sounded like a fun thing to do, but never in our wildest dreams would we imagine that we would actually follow through. For the past three years of our marriage we were residing in Minnesota, in a suburb just about thirty minutes from Minneapolis. We, like most people, had a plan for our life. Work hard and grind, become successful, raise 2-4 children, get a dog, and live happily ever after.

Nice try.

Recognizing that life is not all about comfort and making your dreams come true, but rather allowing God to establish his dreams for you in your heart and life, we accepted the call to move 12 hours away from family and into a little camper located deep in the great hills of Indiana.

We saw that yes, God can give us the desires of our heart, but the heart is also deceitful above all things.. what if all this time the dreams in our heart were not always aligning with him? The truth is, that is the main desire we have, no matter what, to align with him.

One of the hardest things we’ve ever done was saying goodbye to the life that we always had. Both of our families were always right there, as well as our friends. We could always turn to the right or the left and there was someone to lean on and love on. With this opportunity we were forced to lean on the only truth we had- God himself. When there is no one else around you to blame or love, you must only look inward to yourself. What do you see?

I read a quote today that said,

“Home is the kingdom in which we have the daily choice and power to make our tiny domain one of light or darkness.” - Sally Clarkson

Hidden in these small smoky mountains we are challenged, checking to see if our house (what is going on inside of us) is illuminated with life or shadowed with darkness. Just a negative, complaining thought can lead down a spiral staircase of heaviness and all of the sudden, as you look around, you find you’re in the basement of your soul. Both Mason and I have felt the opportunity to dive into our emotions, whether it be about missing home, not wanting to share the bathroom, or even figuring out what to do for work, but we have chosen not to. It’s as if we’re bobbing atop of the water, staying above the negative. What a relief that you don’t have to stay under water your whole life! Look up, there’s so much more to see!

The reality is, you don’t need to move four states away to see what is happening within you. We like to joke that what Mason and I have done is just an outward picture of an inward truth. This kingdom, this choice of light or darkness, resides inside of you. It is the call to come out of your cave of hurt or fear, and to step out into the unknown parts of your soul that you have not met yet. What we have found is a strength and freedom that surprised us both. If you drive past our little campsite at night you’ll most likely see little happy dances in the kitchen… or is it living room? Workspace?.. That’s right, they’re all fused together. Like I said, we’ve learned to be functional here.

Do not be afraid to embark on your own “mobile university”. Explore the hidden parts inside of you, drive through the mountains and fog covered hills. Meet new experiences as they are new friends, and embrace the old friends that were once who you were. It’s all a journey, what matters is not where you end up, but how you get there.