Keep Rolling

So Josh and I are officially boondockers. I mean this new fact may seem not so big of a deal to some and others are sitting there asking what the heck that means. Boondocking means you dry camp, sleep in an RV with no hookups. We had planned to simply park on the side of the road at first in a rest stop when we got too tired to drive but then we saw Boysen Reservoir…. May I just say…. No place should have that kind of nerve to look that incredible!!!

We then saw the Boysen Reservoir state park camping sign with tons of RVs parked. Remember how I mentioned that Josh and I are learning about how we can do whatever we want within reason? Well Josh pulled into that park, thinking we could just ask if they had availability. What we failed to realize until we pulled up, was that it was after office hours. That right, we had lost track of time… it was seven pm. Thankfully we found out that they have a self serve station and sites that don’t require reservations. Ok, yes please!

Such a lovely place to camp.

Except, because of where we were camping we couldn’t shut our front door… we were sitting on a hill too steep for the leveling system. It’s ok, we thought, it’s just for a night and we will figure it out!

We took a walk and discovered the true beauty of the place, it was overwhelming. I also got to experience true quiet, we had no internet service and we had no hookups so no electricity. There was nothing to distract me from “disconnecting” and for the first time it didn’t feel terrifying, it felt freeing. We found out that with no electricity we couldn’t even do minor things, like recline our chairs in the RV! But we made the most of it. We pulled out our camp chairs and propane fire pit and enjoyed the sunset.

Then when we woke up we discovered something sad, our battery drains very fast even with minor stuff!! I think the only thing connected was a nightlight and Josh’s phone. We couldn’t shut our slides or pull up our braces! Great, now we can’t leave!

Ok, it’s fine! We’ll just roll with the punches.

So we plugged in the truck and let it run, 20 minutes each charge allowed us to pull in one slide! We have four slides. Oh dear. But it’s ok, as RVers aren’t we supposed to know how to be more patient and wait? So I did my devotions and watched the sunrise.

Eventually we got everything tucked inside and after a difficult connection due to the truck, we were connected and ready to drive.

On the way into Yellowstone we were having a hard time filling up with gas, so I decided to look at our bank account.

Bad idea. Or maybe good idea? I’m not sure.

What I found was an empty bank account. That’s right, no money. What?! It’s ok, we had a backup plan. More money in different accounts. But we were truly hoping to at least get into Canada with the funds in this account! It didn’t help that although we had planned for the inevitable we didn’t expect the inevitable to be so costly (new truck parts).

Oh well, Gods got us, it’ll work out!

Here’s what I’ve been learning through all of this. I tend to over exaggerate. I’ve been told that I am a drama queen but I don’t know. Maybe it’s not even just me? Maybe it’s something humans do?

No electricity or phone service? Oh my gosh how will we find out what’s down the road or where we will stop next?

We can’t leave when we planned because something broke or is malfunctioning? Oh my gosh, we’re trapped! How will we ever leave?

No money? Oh my gosh, we’re going to die on the side of the road!

All wrong!

Gods got us!

Through every wind of this road we call life, every unexpected hill, all the crazy, Gods got us!

Guess what…. We were in Yellowstone when the Biscuit Basin exploded! That was legit scary to hear! Granted we were more concerned about how to tow a 20 ton RV up a mountain at the time when it happened and no where close by but those what ifs are very loud in my mind!

Perhaps the what ifs are too loud.

Now, we don’t know where we’re going. We don’t know what’s planned. We don’t know how it’s all going to work out.

I knew we were stepping out on faith, but I didn’t realize it’d be this much on faith!

Incredible part…. It’s actually working out!

Isn’t that what faith is, after all? Living out the unknown and unexpected, trusting that it’ll all work out.

Perhaps in those moments when we live by faith, that’s when we truly discover the impossible is possible because of God.

We’re meeting incredible people who did or are doing the same thing we are doing! We are able to help people who are struggling! We are able to ask unsuspecting moms if we can use their phone to take their picture as they play with their kids because it’s too cute to pass up! We’re able to help pay for peoples groceries because it’s only $18 and then provide them hope! We’re able to help change a tire for someone who lacks the right tools but we have it because this is our home and we have all we need in this rolling box.

This is being generous! This is living by faith! And it’s inspiring! Yes that’s right, I’m inspiring myself! I’m not trying to brag about us either, this is all God after all.

There have been moments when I literally stop and ask, are we actually doing this?? There have been moments when Gods creation steals my breath away and I ask, is this real life?? What an incredible honor!

Further, there has been moments when I hear the truck groan as we traverse some of these mountain switchbacks…. And I wonder, why are we doing this? Why are we ruining an incredible investment we have made?!

And then, I think of roller skates.

I know… odd.

But I once heard of this story about a kid who saved up all their money to buy a fancy pair of roller skates. But this kid was so worried about ruining the skates and getting them dirty, they never put on the skates. The skates sat in the box until at long last, the kid had the nerve to put them on. But it was too late! They were too small.

What if, the what ifs, keep us caged? Kept up in our boxes, never to be used for our true purpose.

Perhaps we are supposed to live life rolling with the punches. Straining for the impossible. Living for the dream. Relying on the God who calls us His.