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Part 72: Where All Journeys Grow

Chapter 2: Pruning

V2.0 – 10/2/2025

I stood to my feet and walked back into my house. I entered my kitchen and walked over to the sink. I rinsed the empty coffee mug out with hot water and sat it down. I glanced at the coffee machine but decided I’d clean it later on. I turned and stood still. I wasn’t sure what to do with my day. I looked around the kitchen. It was spotless. I looked past the island into the living room. It was spotless as well. I walked around the house and looked in each of the rooms. All of them were spotless. I kept a clean house, which is easy to do when you live alone and have no job.

I stood for a time in the hallway looking at the photos of my family. There weren’t many hung there, only four. I looked at each one in turn. I missed my family but reminded myself that I would see them again soon either on Earth or in heaven.

I felt a breeze blow through the hallway. “Did I leave the front door open?” I wondered to myself. I walked back into the living room. The front door was closed. I felt a warmth fill my hands and wrists, the familiar sign to me of the Holy Spirit’s presence.

“Yes?” I asked aloud.

I turned my perception to the spiritual world around me. I felt the Holy Spirit filling the house. I felt the warmth and the peace that were the signs of His presence. I felt again that gentle breeze across my skin. I knew Jesus was here with me, but I didn’t see Him with my spiritual eyes. I felt a gentle nudge and with it I felt yet another breeze blow through the room. He was persistent as always.

“I’m here.” I said aloud.

Then I heard the unmistakable voice of the Holy Spirit whisper, “Sell it all.”

“Sell it all,” I thought. The house? My car? Yes. Everything. He had said “It all.” I had learned from my walking closely with God that what He said was rarely metaphorical. He said what He meant. He meant what He said. Surely He can’t want me to sell everything. Where would I go? Where would I live?

I took a deep breath. I looked around. I had lived in this house ever since I had graduated college. It was my home. It was my shelter, my security. I walked over to my recliner that was starting to show its age and ran my hand along its back lovingly. I walked in front of it and settled into it. I leaned back and took another deep breath. God never asked easy things of me. Maybe it was an easy thing. Maybe I just simply held on too tight to what I owned.

I took another look around the room. I had picked out the couch for myself because it was the color I loved most in the world: hunter green. It fit my tall body. I could lay on it and be comfortable. I had taken so many naps of days off on it with the afternoon sun shining down on me from the windows. My wood coffee table sat where it always had sat in front of the couch. It had a broken leg that I had mended myself with table. I felt the fondness of the things I owned grip my heart. I didn’t want to let go of my things… but I knew I must. I did love God more.

“Yes.” I said aloud to Him.

An image of my coworker Sam popped into my mind. I took my phone from my pocket and unlocked it. I opened the contacts and searched for his name. I found his number and touched the call button. It started ringing and I put the phone to my ear.

Ring. Ring. Ring. Sam never answered quickly. Ring. Then I heard Sam’s voicemail answer and his voice said playfully, “You’ve reached Sam, not in, leave a message or whatever. Maybe I’ll call you back, if I remember.” Beep.

“Hey Sam, it’s me. Call me back when you get a chance please. I have something to ask you.” I left the message and ended the call.

I sat the phone down on the arm of the chair. Instantly it illuminated. Sam’s photo smiled up at me as the phone rang. I slid the answer button across the screen and put the phone back to my ear.

“Hey Sam.” I said.

“Hey buddy, how ya been?” Sam asked in his usual cheery voice, “How’s retirement suiting you?”

“I’m good man,” I answered him. I stood from the recliner and asked, “You got a few minutes?”

“I’m at work right now but I can spare a second for you.” Sam replied, then added, “Give me a second to walk outside.”

There was silence as I waited for him to go outside. I walked back into the kitchen and began to clean up the coffee machine while I waited.

“Ok, what’s up?” Sam asked. I could hear the sound of the parking lot in the background and knew that he now sat on the bench outside my old workplace building. I remembered always loving any excuse to go outside and get a bit of fresh air when I worked there.

“Sam, I want to sell you my house, everything in it, and my car as well.” I said simply.

“You want what?” He asked incredulously.

“Yeah, God told me to sell it all. I think I’ll be travelling for a while.” I replied.

There was a pause and then Sam said, “Let me finish up things here and I’ll come by so we can talk about this more in person.”

“Good idea. I’m home.” I replied, “Thanks Sam. I appreciate it.”

“You got it buddy. I’ll text you when I’m heading that way. It’ll be around five fifteen or so this afternoon. Talk then.” And with that He ended the call.

I put the phone back in my pocket and rinsed the last of the dishes, placing each of them into the dishwasher. I put detergent in it and closed it. I pressed the start button, and it began its noisy cycle. I stood and looked around the kitchen again.

“He will buy it all.” The Holy Spirit whispered to me.

I sighed and replied, “I know.”

I wanted to ask God more questions but knew it wasn’t the time for that. First things first. Obedience first, questions later. I walked back into the living room and sat in the recliner. I thought about everything in the house. I thought about my car. I had had both since I started my job after college. Both were aging but in good repair. I couldn’t decide how I felt about selling it all.

I thought of the journey with the Dark One through the life of Jesus and all I had experienced during that amazing time with God. I thought about traveling to the river and seeing the tree sticking out of the flowing waters in the storm. God was doing something with me. Something important. Something significant.

Am I up to it all? Jesus had told me that I would be climbing a mountain. Did He mean a real mountain? I thought about all the mountains that I knew of. Which one would He have me climb? Or was it some sort of metaphorical mountain. Was selling my house, car, and property the mountain I had to climb?

I became aware of Jesus in the room. I looked up with my spiritual eyes and saw Him standing in the center of the living room watching me with a smile. He always looked at me with such love.

“What?” I asked Him softly.

“You.” He replied gently, love filling His voice as he spoke.

“Me?” I asked with a laugh, “What about me?”

“Always the thinker. Always the wonderer.” He said. I watched Him cross the short space between where He stood and the couch to my left. He sat on it and looked back at me. I felt a breeze blow through the living room. I felt warmth and peace fill me. I knew the Holy Spirit filled the room.

“Sell everything?” I asked.

Jesus nodded, still smiling. He looked around at the things in my living room. I knew He saw everything I owned in that moment. “Sell it all.” He said, then added, “Keep nothing. Take nothing with you. Just a backpack, some clothes, your phone, and its charger.”

I thought about everything I owned in the world. I looked back at Jesus. I got lost in a moment of remembering Him on the cross dying for me. Tears welled up in my eyes. What I wouldn’t give my God? He gave me everything. I hated that I wanted to hold onto the things I owned in this world.

He scooted forward on the couch and reached His hand out to me. I put my hand in His. Touching God.He continued to smile at me.

“It’ll all be worth it?” I whispered. He nodded.

And with that my awareness of Him vanished. I was sitting in my recliner looking at the couch with my hand outstretched. I still felt His touch on my hand. Tears streamed down my face. I knew they must, so I let them fall. I was dying to myself, and I knew it. I laid back in my recliner and fell asleep almost instantly.

I woke a few hours later. My eyes were gummy, and I wiped at them. I thought about the morning. I remembered all that had happened. Everything was changing so fast. I took a deep breath and steeled myself for what was to come.

“Why was obedience to God always so hard,” I asked myself aloud.

I tapped my finger on my phone and saw that it was almost 1pm. I had just over four hours till Sam would arrive. I didn’t have anything to clean. I needed to check the car and see what state it was in. I stood up from the recliner and headed for the front door. I grabbed my keys off the hook by the door and walked outside.

The sun shone brightly on everything. I shielded my eyes against its brightness and walked over to my car. I unlocked it and opened the driver’s door. I leaned inside. It was mostly clean. I didn’t go anywhere often. I started to remove the few remaining things from it, then stopped. I put them back in it. As is, I thought. I knew instantly that I would have to just sell it all as it was. I wasn’t taking anything with me that was clear. I pulled my sunglasses from the center console. I knew I’d need them wherever I found myself.

I shut the car door and walked up the driveway toward the roadway. I stood at the entrance of my driveway and turned to look at the house and the property. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I wondered how many people in the world had had to part with everything in obedience to God. I remembered Jesus’s words to the rich young ruler in the Word, “One thing you lack. Sell all you own and give it to the poor. Then come and follow after me.”

What stood beyond obedience was the unknown.

I didn’t care much for the unknown.

I saw that clearly as I looked at my house and the surrounding yard. Everything was in its place. Predicable. Ordered. Mine. I sighed again, hating myself for wanting to hold onto it all. I hated that I wished there was another way, but I knew there wasn’t. It was God’s way or my way, and I knew all too clearly where my way led.

“All this goes to the fire.” Jesus said. I sensed Him in my spirit. He stood beside me looking at the house. I glanced over at Him.

“I know.” I said and felt stupid for my reply. I always said the dumbest things to Him. He smiled, knowing my thoughts, and gave me a look. I smiled back sheepishly.

“Sorry.” I whispered. He nodded then put His attention back on my house.

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb. Naked I shall return.” I said aloud.

He put a hand on my shoulder. I felt His love and warmth flood me. I was blessed to be able to sense Him as I did. So blessed. I wanted others to be as blessed as I was. That, I suddenly knew, was the why to selling everything. My possessions held me back for going where it was that God wanted me to go. I couldn’t look back now.

“No one that has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive it all a hundred times more in this life with persecutions, and, in the age to come, eternal life.” He quoted Himself softly.

I nodded my head. There was a long moment where we both just stood there looking at the house. Jesus just stood quietly with me as I processed it all. He was always so patient with me. I took another deep breath. I took my phone out of my pocket and tapped the screen. 2pm. Time was flying by.

“I’m not sure what I should be doing right now.” I told Him. He didn’t say anything.

I walked back to the house and busied myself. I gathered the few things I knew I had to take with me. My wallet, phone, and passport. I opened my safe and searched through it. I didn’t really need anything in it, so I locked it again.

I went into my bedroom and took my backpack out from the closet. I placed a few changes of clothes in it. It was enough. I knew God would provide whatever I needed wherever He was sending me.

“How do you sell everything you own?” I asked myself aloud.

I thought about it all for a bit. I wondered through my house like a ghost. I think I was grieving. Yes. Grieving and saying goodbye. I didn’t know how to do this.

“God, help me know how to do this.” I prayed aloud. The answer came almost instantly.

I took out my phone, searched for my lawyer’s number, and dialed it. It rang.

“Hello. Mark Waters And Sons. How can I help you?” A young woman’s voice answered the call.

“Hey there Mindy. It’s me. Can I speak to Mark please.” I said.

“Sure, let me check and see if he is free. Hold please.” She replied and put the call on hold.

I walked back into the living room and sat in the recliner.

I waited, listening to the annoying hold music playing on the other end of the line.

“Hello, this is Mark.” Mark said taking my call.

“Hey Mark. I have a favor to ask of you.” I told him.

“What is it, son?” He replied.

“I need help. I want to sell my car, house, and property quickly to my old coworker Sam Riley. I’m going on an extended trip and am leaving rather suddenly. Could you manage all that for me? I can give Sam your information and all that.” I asked him.

He thought for a moment then answered, “Sure son. 15% of all sales is my normal fee for that kind of work. I’d ask you where you’re going but I have a feeling you don’t even know yet.” He said, then laughed.

“You’re right there.” I told him, “All I know is that I’m going to climb some mountain.”

“Sounds about right. Alright then,” He said and then asked, “How soon are you planning to leave?”

“As soon as possible I think.” I replied.

“Right.” He said. He thought for a moment then I could hear him buzz his assistant.

“Mandy, prepare power of attorney documents for our client and I’ll have you run them over to him as soon as they are ready.” He told her.

“Yes, Mr. Waters.” She told him cheerfully.

“The papers will be over to you later today son. Sign them and send them back with her. Are the deeds and titles in the safe as usual?” He asked.

“Yes sir,” I replied and asked, “You know the codes to the safe and you have my house keys still right?”

I heard him stand and walk across his office. I listened to the sound of a filing cabinet open and papers being shifted around. “Yes, I have all that info still.” He replied.

“Anything else, son?” He asked.

“Nope that’s it. Thank you Mark. I appreciate you.” I said.

“You’re welcome.” He said and hung up the phone.

I took another deep breath. I wondered at how amazing God was. Every time I chose to obey Him things moved so quickly, almost too quickly. Maybe a little too quickly this time. I laughed at myself aloud.

I tapped the screen on my phone. 3pm. Not long now.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur. Mandy arrived with the documents. I signed them and she rushed off. Sam arrived and we spent some time catching up. I told him my plans to sell him everything as it was. We had known each other so long it was nice to see him again. I knew that he wouldn’t have a problem with buying everything from me. He was working on starting his own business flipping houses. This was a great opportunity for him. He thank me and I saw him to the door. I handed him the keys to the car and the house. He took them from me and looked around.

“You sure about this?” He asked me again.

“I am.” I replied, “No other choice to make. I’ll lock up when I leave.”

“Take care of yourself.” He told me as he made his way to his car.

I stood on the porch and watched him drive away. In the space of a single day I had sold everything I owned to my friend. My backpack lay leaning against my leg. In it was my phone charger, some clothes, my toothbrush, and a few other odds and ends.

The sun was slowly sliding down the horizon behind the house casting long shadows across the ground. I realized that I was now standing on someone else’s porch, on someone else’s house, and on someone else’s property. I picked up my backpack and slung it on my shoulders. I stepped back inside and set my spare keys on the hook by the door. I took one last look around then closed the door, locking myself out as I went.

Homeless. No, not homeless. Heaven was my real home. I was just a traveler now in this world.

I walked down the driveway to the street and glanced back at the house and property.

“Thank you.” I said aloud, thanking God for it all and then I let it go. I began walking down the street with everything I owned on my back.

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