A Change Of Scenery by Shara Bueler-Repka

We rolled toward our destination with a big question mark looming above us. Where did God want us?

My husband, Bruce, and I live on the road full-time with our horses and music ministry, traveling to wherever the Lord sends us. But sometimes discerning His destination isn’t so easy.

A good friend of ours asked us to sing/minister again at a venue we attended for the past few years. We always had a blast hanging out there, and we’d made many friends through the years. And the people at the cowboy church at the end of the weekend were always receptive, as the Holy Spirit moved.

And, to be honest, it sure didn’t hurt that they graciously gave a generous love offering, monetarily blessing our travels. Even though the provision is never our focus, anxious thoughts try to invade: “I hope there’s enough for… (fill in the blank: diesel, hay bills…).

Our friend who invited us patiently waited for our answer… Yes? No?

Usually, we’d have jumped at the chance to go again. But a “check” in our spirits alerted us that the Lord may need us elsewhere. This impression started after receiving a phone call from another friend in another state, inviting us to come up to her ranch. We knew she was struggling, but we all walk through those “valleys”, and usually, just phone conversations could suffice.

We prayed for confirmation on which “trail” to take, needing to make sure that “check” was from the Lord and not just our own hearts wanting to visit our friend. (1 John 4:1)

The closer we got to the scheduled venue, the stronger the “check.” Bruce and I decided we were not supposed to be at that venue. We didn’t want to disappoint our friend, but we had to decline his offer.

Our friend kindly understood, informing us that God had already moved someone else to provide music for the cowboy church. Truth is, we realized later that this was God’s plan all along. And a little side note here? If we had pushed aside that Holy Spirit “check”, we would have pushed this other musician out of what the Lord had called him to do. How many of God’s perfect plans have been squelched because someone forced themselves into a position, not theirs to take?

We swung onto this new “trail”, this change of scenery, and headed to our ranch-friend. The closer we got to her place, the more peace we felt that this was the right decision. (Romans 5:1-2)

However, there was one hitch-in-the-get-along. Getting into her ranch was going to prove difficult for our rig because of the terrain. But God had that figured out, too.

The day we were to pull in, our friend called. “Hey,” she said, “I just ran into a friend of mine who lives down the road from me.” I could hear her smile over the phone. “I told her our dilemma, and she said you guys could hook up on her ranch for as long as you need.”

We drove down the dusty road toward our new destination. Two goats and a horse galloped beside the fence line, bleating and neighing their greetings as we rolled toward the entrance.

We happily watched them until we rounded the corner. A small wooden bridge revealed itself, and we held our breath as we squeezed our large rig between its borders. Carefully eyeing the sides of our trailer, we barely cleared the wooden sideboards. We kept an eye on the top of our rig, too, making sure we didn’t inadvertently trim trees with low-hanging branches.

Breathing a sigh of relief, we made our way up the narrow dirt driveway. Chicken and rooster coops dotted the spacious yard. We cruised around the circle and more horses greeted us at the pasture fence.

We were to discover later that this myriad of God’s creatures was only a fraction of the ranch’s residents. A mobile home, long abandoned by humans, now housed an entourage of more show-chickens, show-roosters, a colorful assortment of parrots, and a cat. In other outlying buildings and the barn were homes to more chickens, ducks, other species of birds, and a tortoise.

We pulled our rig into a spot, turned our horses loose in a big paddock, and joined the crew. This, it turned out, would be our home for the next two months.

We were five minutes down the road from our friend, who needed fellowship more than we knew. But God knew.

And, never looking for a handout, we offered to help our “landlord” with the feeding and care of their little “zoo”. The owner gladly accepted and, because they didn’t live there, this arrangement saved them many trips to and from town.

About two weeks into our stay, I stood by our trailer, talking to the ranch owner’s son as one of his beloved chickens perched proudly on his shoulder.

His mom strolled up, and we started to chat. Her eyes welled up.

“I just remembered today that I recently cried to the Lord, asking Him to send us help to care for our animals,” she said, barely getting the words out. “My husband just found a job in another town, I homeschool my boy, and we’re having a hard time keeping up with the work here.” She smiled as a tear streamed down her cheeks. “You guys showed up the next week.”

It was my turn to be teary-eyed.

Funny how God dares us to leave our comfort zones, or what seems normal. To change that scenery, we’re so used to. Are we willing to take a chance and face the unknown? Are we willing to trust His leading and His care, even when the trail, at first, doesn’t make sense?

God met all of our friends’ needs, as well as all of ours. We had what we needed, when we needed it—a beautiful place to ride, hay for our horses, spiritual refreshing, etc., and even fresh eggs from the chickens. And we got to share our music during our stay, in a different way. (Matthew 6:33)

When we rolled out after those two months, toward our next adventure, our confidence had grown in the love of our God, who truly cares for every detail in our lives. And our trust continues to be strengthened in His wisdom of life’s big picture.

We’re also learning that in every adventure He leads us to and through, He always gives us a choice whether or not we are all in.

“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21 NKJV)

Shara Bueler-Repka