fruition

Some dreams are too poignant and precious to put into words. Like delicate bubbles, they are fragile. To expose them to the light of day too soon might threaten to burst the exquisite sense of anticipation. Of possibility.

To talk about personal ideas publicly threatens to belittle them. Unuttered, they are like hidden treasure, buried safely away where words cannot express something too deep for words.

I have held a dream in my heart that God has tucked safely away for decades. Until now, it has not been the right season. Like a bulb, buried in the earth, the dream is about to burst forth and blossom.

It is hard to comprehend. Now it is finally time.  I am about to embark on something so wonderful I can hardly speak of it and put it ‘out there’.

But the motivation behind sharing is to inspire you to dream of your own adventure and put the hard work in to make it a reality.

Flowers can transport you. In my case, they really are taking me places. Flowers have bought my ticket to travel. Well, actually, my husband’s ticket.

I have longed to go to Europe since before I met Andrew. He said we would go together one day.

Now we are –  35 years later.

It became my catchcry. Andrew is not as keen to travel as I am, but I said if I bought his ticket, he couldn’t say no!

That has been the reason behind growing hundreds of flowers to sell these past two years.

To take him to Italy.

How can a full-time, home schooling mother of eight children living in a rural area make some money to contemplate the possibility of travelling? How can I earn some funds to explore this big wide beautiful world?

Do what you can with what you’ve got where you are.

That’s my motto.

I live in an area with deliciously rich soil, plenty of water and I love gardening.

So I grew flowers!

Commit your plans to the Lord and He shall bring them to pass.

I did and He has.

He is the caretaker of the deepest desires of our hearts. If something is meant to be, those hopes and dreams are safe with Him. He sifts and sorts our plans and ideas as we walk with Him and follow His lead. God is never in a hurry. He has work to accomplish in the preparation. Those three words….In The Meantime. Oh!! Those loooonnnnggg meantimes. The waiting. The wondering. The doubts, the questions. The chaffing as He polishes us and refines the very essence of our character. The lessons in trust and patience.

The peace that can only come when we trust God’s perfect timing.       

I do not want to wait until my children are grown and leave home to fulfil the longing for adventure. It will be awhile off yet! Eight children, roughly two years apart.

I actually want to have some fun with them along the way! We can explore together and share the journey!

I like their company. And I hope they don’t mind mine. I don’t think they will say no to Paris, London or Rome.

Even writing those words is surreal.

I am pinching myself. Paris? London? Rome?

Europe? Moi?

This time tomorrow, the four of us will be winging our way across to the other side of this great big beautiful world to explore together.

My husband and me with our two youngest children as a grand hurrah to homeschooling for 25 years.

Home educating is multi faceted. It is not one dimensional. Books and pages and words.

Education can be so much more. Experiences bring learning to life. To travel is to open up a whole new world.

I am excited not to be a tourist. I just want to absorb other cultures. To listen and touch and smell and taste and see that the Lord is good over there too. To watch people live their lives in another culture. Italians. French. To revisit the Scottish and the English and introduce my children to places that seem so familiar because we have read about them together since they were babies.

Visiting Britain was like walking into books I’d grown up with and then shared with my children. I am looking forward to sharing those familiar places, especially Arthur Ransome’s Lake District. We shall definitely be messing about in boats.

Au revoir!

Photos by Briony Scotton