November 30, 2015 - Gaining another monument

I’m almost afraid to tell this story. It’s a fear of not doing it justice in how everything came together in God-like fashion. I don’t want to disappoint him in my telling. You surely wouldn’t believe the chain of events had you been sitting co-pilot in real time beside Ron and I, so just take my word for it. It is an awesome story despite my unimpressive re-telling.

Ron found it Thanksgiving Day. The house of the “crazy people” who list their house for sale the week of thanksgiving (well in fact the day before thanksgiving) while traveling out of town. The people who evidently are as crazy as Ron and I. I now know this is a brilliant plan – listing while on vacation, because you clean the house before you leave and never again while you are gone! I now wouldn’t do it any other way. I was skeptical of this newly discovered house, listed the prior day. We had already secured an apartment (see last post) knowing we were in the last week of being able to find a house and close on it in time for our current house closing. January 5th is a month away. It's very difficult in current mortgage processes to close on a house in under 45 days, much less FIND a house and then close. We had already decided that an apartment and its high rental fees was inevitable. We had spent the weekend before apartment hunting and now had the apartment secured for move in later in December. So when Ron flipped the computer screen my way on thanksgiving day, I only halfheartedly committed to its viewing. I even said to Ron, this is likely a waste of time, and I feel bad for making the realtor go with us thanksgiving weekend to see it. I looked at the pictures, fulling knowing that living room was smaller than it appeared, that dining room would only hold a 2 person card table, and that master surely only boasted room for a twin. It said “two car garage”, “master bedroom downstairs”, “open floor plan”, and “spacious backyard”. I had fallen prey to those words before only to disappoint when the master was really the storage closet, the price was out of budget, and the location in another state. But these pictures, and most certainly the price tag, had “What in the world? This is awesome!” written all over it! But I knew something would disappoint. "Ron, are you SURE you want to go see it?" We would have to go back to Raleigh a day early so we could see it before the 48 hour sale off that is happening in this market.

We packed up our bags and headed back to town to meet our realtor at the house. Ron and I arrived a little early and pulled into the drive way. WHAT? This DOES look like the picture. The neighborhood was off our radar as it was in a zip code we had not yet considered, but it sat about 0.5 miles outside two zip codes I was trying to maintain. The realtor arrived and we went to the front door. My heart sort of dropped, as the last house I had on my master plan came to a booming halt as soon as the front door opened. She turned the key, opened the door, and my heart went from drop zone to delight! Not only did the house LOOK like the pictures, for the first time in our search, it actually exceeded the pictures! The living room was open and would hold my couch AND my coffee table. The dining room was a place you could actually dine with your 6 closest friends. The master bedroom was in fact downstairs and sporting a king sized bed. The garage not only holds two cars, but room for Ron’s tools! A walk in attic? Was someone playing a trick on me? For the first time, we were standing in a house that created an excitement, and without compromise. And do you recall I said under budget? I didn't know what God was going to lead me too, but I knew he would create excitement in me for whatever that would be once we found it. I had excitement.

“Ron, I think this is it.” “Sally, I think this is it.” We walked back out to the front of the house and met a second group of people coming in for a showing. My heart was sinking. Twelve people had already seen this house.

We drove to the realtor’s office and got out of the car. “I called the agent while you guys were coming over and they have an offer coming in tonight. Do you still want to make an offer?” Oh no, I knew it! Every house we had even CONSIDERED wanting to buy had multiple offers on it. I was well past loathing this real estate market. This house had everything we needed – this master down is crucial right now and very hard to find in the urban sprawl of houses being built “up” instead of “out” to save land. While a 2 car garage was a want and not a need, it was important to me for Ron to have this so he would have somewhere to store his tools and such. I didn’t want him to have to sacrifice that because of my need for a master down. Usually you get one or the other, but both was starting to be unheard of in our new budget. My heart was breaking that my need was to over-ride his want. So we knew this house was a gem for our current state and we might not have another option this good.

“Yes!”

We typed up an offer and sent it in. We heard back almost immediately that a second offer had come in, so they were giving each of us an opportunity to submit one last offer for them to choose from. I knew in my heart that this house was something God had placed in front of us. The timing was perfect (the last week before the timeline mandated we had to move into an apartment, and after I had giving up on anything listing in the holiday week), the location suitable for our commutes in opposite directions, the layout perfection for my health challenges, and all under budget thus making our drastic mortgage downsize dreams come true. God was doing his thing.

We typed up a second offer and included a letter of “our story” to the sellers of how God was taking us to something new, leaving behind the “perfect forever home”, and now looking for a new house that would work for my physical needs, our location demands for our commutes, and some of our wants as well.  It only took an hour or so before we got a reply from the sellers letting us know how our story had touched them. They wrote back of how this home would be perfect for us just as it had been for them when they needed a master down during her pregnancy. They felt delighted to give us the chance to make their house our home and were grateful we shared our journey with them.

If I didn’t serve this amazing God that I do I would think this story impossible. We have searched and searched for a home, only to find huge compromise and location woes. We would find a great house, but would have to leave it behind because the master was up. Or we would find a house that had the layout, but needed drastic work, thus pushing the final cost up and out of our budget. Then there were the houses that just felt-off and not what God was choosing for us. Now, the week we settle on an apartment out of necessity, we find this gem that not only hits all of our tick points (the first house to do so), but also adds in some lovely additions we didn’t think possible (a front porch, a backyard, a walk in attic, under budget!) And the big kicker….. closing date is Jan 5th! Yes, you are recalling correctly, that is the exact same date of our current house.

See, I told you! God did his thing once again. I tried to thwart the journey with worry and disappointment along the way See Sally go up, See Sally go down! But what you did not see is "See Sally run!"  We kept remembering that when God calls, he provides. We stepped out on faith and He in all his Glory did his thing! Not only did I find contentment in leaving my house, I found excitement in God’s provision. I lost some house upgrades, but was gaining another monument of what God can do when you follow, even when it doesn’t make sense. No tribute to me, but all to him and his faithfulness.

We are in the midst of packing our house, so we can't put up our Christmas tree and decor. Ya'll know I ADORE decorating for Christmas. Well, I know how to improvise in celebration. My last Christmas in this home will still carry Christmas cheer.

What a mighty God we serve!

(Side note prayers for the couple who didn't get the house. I know that feeling of disappoint, and back to the drawing table. My gift was their loss. No doubt, they are not feeling delight.)