ASLAN IS ON THE MOVE! I remember exactly where I was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace of the Cosy Christmas Cottage on the Lake, sorting through paperwork for taxes. It was the first day of October, 2019. I came across the license tag renewal paperwork for my personalized license plate, DAYENU, on my Toyota Prius, and that got me to thinking. I had had my Prius for 12 and a half years almost, and knew that I would be in the market for another vehicle sometime in the near future. I felt like my new vehicle would have a name. I never named the Prius, I just always called it "the Prius" which is quite unusual for me, as by now, I am sure you know, I name everything! Even though the tag was DAYENU, I didn't call the Prius DAYENU. If you've read or listened to Dayenu Is My Middle Name, then you know the significance of DAYENU.
As I was pondering a name for my next vehicle,it came to me suddenly and I eagerly jumped online to see if the personalized plate was available through the Arkansas DMV. Relieved to discover that no one else had claimed ASLAN, I had ordered it in split seconds. Arkansas gives you a whole year to license your custom plate to a vehicle, so I knew I had time. I had no idea that 5 months later, on the last day of February 2020, ASLAN and I would be a team! I could say with every mile I would drive, ASLAN IS ON THE MOVE! I was so excited!
I bought my Prius for the gas mileage, and for my mobile massage business. But in October of 2019, my greatest need was for a vehicle suited for Aunt Kelly. My research led me to the Subaru Ascent, and I knew the moment I saw the Ascent, that was the vehicle for me. With not as much cargo space, but room for 7, like the 7 Chronicles of Narnia, ASLAN was destined to be an Ascent. I was thinking RED would be the perfect color, until I saw a red Subaru Ascent in traffic. It wasn't a vibrant Christmas red, no offense, Subaru, so I had my eye on silver, but in sharing my story with a close friend about Mother's white subaru and Jerusalem, and with the Psalms of Ascent being recited in pilgrimage to Jerusalem, she was right. With the red no longer my first color choice, my Ascent had to be white.
Four months to the day from the time I bought the ASLAN tag from the Arkansas DMV, October 1st, 2019, I marked my 47th birthday, the 1st day of February, 2020. That day, I paid my rent, by depositing cash into my landlord's bank account, and the Holy Spirit told me, "This is the last time you will pay rent at the Cosy Christmas Cottage. It's time to move." That was a surprising thought for me, but I knew what I had heard, so I began packing up immediately. It was a big project, that felt both exciting and mysterious. I had absolute confidence that I was being led to move immediately, and while I didn't know what was on the horizon, I was beginning to think that this would be the perfect time for me to travel to visit friends and share my vision for missions and ministry, and raise support to make it happen. It was clear to me that now was the time for ASLAN and I both to be "on the move"! I had until the 10th of March to be completely out of the Cosy Christmas Cottage on the Lake, so that meant I would be buying ASLAN on the last day of February.
ASLAN is the 3rd new vehicle purchase I have made. My first new vehicle purchase was made on the last day of October, 2003, and I signed the loan for my Prius on the last day of May, 2007, so to keep the pattern going, and because I planned to hit the road as soon as my move out of the Cosy Christmas Cottage was complete, that meant the perfect day was the last day of February, which happened to be the 29th, since it was LEAP YEAR. This was just getting more fun and meaningful as it unfolded. I have always loved LEAP YEAR. My Mother was born in LEAP YEAR, 1944. I love to think of a LEAP of faith, to LEAP for joy! the promise of Isaiah 35, that the lame will LEAP like a deer! and that promise coming true for the man at the temple gate called Beautiful, who had been lame from his birth, but was healed in the name of Jesus, and was "walking and leaping and praising GOD"! And, of course, ASLAN leaps! ASLAN leaps with Lucy and Susan after he has come back to life and the Stone Table is broken in two. ASLAN leaps as he breathes on the stone statues in the White Witch's castle, to bring them back to life. ASLAN leaps on the White Witch and kills her!
LEAP YEAR DAY, February 29, is the 60th Day of the year, which I always celebrate. The 60th Day of the year, 3 out of 4 years, is March 1st. This reminds me that the "last will be first and the first last" since these days become each other, in a way, as the 60th day. I always celebrate the 60th Day, because of my love for Isaiah 60, "Arise! Shine! For you light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you!" The promise of Isaiah 60 was given to me when I was 21, and has been special to me since then. When my Mother passed away at age 60, it became even more dear to me, all 22 verses.
With no personal or business debt, and with my impeccable credit score, I qualified for a 0.09% loan which I made sure was signed and dated on Saturday, the 29th of February, symbolizing my LEAP into everything GOD has called me to do!
I was so excited to say with every mile I drove, "Aslan is on the move!" or, more perfectly, "Aslan is on the Ascent!" and I was ready for the next season of adventure in my walk of faith! I imagined Aslan and I would be traveling to visit everyone I knew, to share my vision for blessing the nations and gathering sponsors to step into the fullness of my calling. I was about to wrap up my move out of the Cosy Christmas Cottage on the Lake, and couldn't wait for the Adventure with ASLAN to begin!
