Why We Chose Full Time RV Living

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Today, I’m happy to share behind the scenes with my husband’s perspective of why we chose to live in an RV full time…here’s Tim.

If someone would describe me there are a few adjectives that would come to mind–we’ll only talk about the appropriate ones. They would include words and phrases like dreamer, adventurous, out of the box thinker, mover and shaker, and slightly crazy. They would not call me a Steady Eddie.

(I would have to agree with those fast-moving, ever-changing descriptions when it comes to my career path or geographical location to name a few areas. However, those adjectives do not necessarily describe me when it comes to my walk with Christ or my love for my family. This does not mean I’ve reached perfection in those areas but I do have a desire that does not waiver as a whole.)

When my business partner approached me with a buy out option of our pizza shop, I agreed (whether I like to admit to it or not it was perfect timing). This meant our family would have to make another change.

At this point I didn’t want a change. I was tired. I had spent the last two years creating, building, battling, and a whole lot more to help get the restaurant to the place of good potential profitability. I had finally found something I enjoyed (most of the time) and now change was smacking me right in the face again.

So after a few weeks of  a emotional roller coaster and me pulling my hair out (I don’t have any hair to begin with) Allyson and I began to brainstorm. Boy was it more of a storm, than anything else. Allyson mentioned in passing about possibly full time RVing. She told me about a few blogs she read of families who did this major change. She explained to me how families became closer during this time and about how it could be an all around good time for healing.

That was just what the doctor ordered. The last two years I have been consumed with starting a business and have not been steady in my relationship with God. Therefore my family has suffered.

I am a firm believer that we look at the word provider and do a poor job of defining that word. We look at passages like 1 Timothy 5:8 and make it absolute, when really it is a heart issue. Paul, the writer of Timothy, is saying when there are those in need especially your relatives you need to help them. In that case, widows were the context of the conversation.

Providing, as well, is a heart issue. In my case God has provided me with a wonderful wife and 6 blessed little ones. Though I had been providing financially. I had not been providing them with spiritual and personal food. My kids were crying when I left because I had no real substantive time for them. My wife and I were arguing more because that was the only way to get me to slow down for a moment.

Can we say UNHEALTHY!

Because of our current situation we left nothing off the table when deciding what to do next. We spent time in prayer, in conversation, and in more conversation (my wife would tell you I over analyze things, but I would say I am thorough).

We thought about possibly going back to school in hopes of a more secure job after a year or two, but more school debt didn’t sit right with us. We also discussed working at a different job in our home city, but as much as we cut the budget, I would still be away from the family for longer hours than we wanted.

Then there was also the issue of where we would live. We were renting a house and we knew it wasn’t a long term solution for various reasons. Allyson and I contemplated purchasing a foreclosure with cash, but the only thing we could find within our budget were homes that basically needed to be torn down. Renting another home would also be a stretch…most people don’t want to rent to larger families or assume we need a much larger house than what we want (or what we can afford).

Through countless long nights, early mornings and probably some more neglect of our kids throughout the day (can we say YouTube videos), full time RVing won the day.

In his book, The Art of Work, Jeff Goins has a a subsection tiled, Letting Go of What Could Have Been which describes the subsequent challenge that our family will face in order to achieve the goals God has set for us in this season of life. For me it will be letting go of what could have been in the area of potential careers in order to have the time and energy to give to my relationship with God and my family. Giving up on the so called American Dream.  For the kids it is giving up on what was constant and predictable for the unknown. For Allyson…well I’ll let her tell you in the next post titled The Great Purge.

As you look at your own life, what do you find hard to let go of to fulfill the dreams God has for you?