What is it about a house?
A house makes it all seem permanent...makes it seem final. So, when we moved here, I was anxious to get the settled feeling and find the house we would make ours. After a long journey, we finally settled at our house, two short doors up from a pizza restaurant (when the wind hits right, it just smells delicious outside!!) and across the street from Starbucks (I mean seriously...perfect!!). But, I pause for a story, because God truly led us to this house and we feel blessed to have it...and He deserves the credit!!
We moved here in January and moved in with my aunt and uncle, to whom we owe so much. We are so thankful for how they loved our family as we navigated the first couple of month of living here and how they spent time in our new home to help make it our home and how they continue to love our kids, even when we live 30 minutes south (and in Kansas of all places!!).
We thought for sure buying a house would be a quick process. Our restrictions were Kansas because the school district was better and I worry we are going to mess up George's life often. When we found the first house we wanted to make ours, we went back to see it with our realtor, for the sole purpose of determining what number. What we found was water in the basement.. God protected us from buying a home that would have brought us a TON of issues.
Our first offer was on a home that went on the market and within 6 hours, the house had at least 5 offers. We were one, and even offered over asking price. We wrote a compelling letter on why us (I mean we LAID IT ON THICK!!). All that effort was wasted as we were outbid by what was WELL over what they asked for on the house! God must have had something better!!
Our second offer was on a house we liked...we could have made it a home. It was across the street from the high school and I envisioned taking George across the street to the football games. It really could have been fun! Our realtor called in our offer to the other realtor before we sent in the paperwork. The other realtor said to give our best offer, and our best was not good enough (even though it was asking price!!). God again must have had something better!!
Third time is a charm, right?! Our third offer was on a home that we made an offer on the first day it was on the market. We liked the house but we just didn't LOVE it. We couldn't commit to the entire asking price but really didn't have a reason why other than just not thinking it was worth it. Our realtor I'm sure thought we were crazy...we just couldn't do it! We found out that the homeowner wanted to hold out for more. We were rejected...AGAIN. Surely, God MUST have had something better!!
At this point, a lot of people expand their search, right...reaching out further into the suburbs. But neither of us felt right about that. We felt that if God had called us to Roanoke Baptist Church, he was going to give us a house within 12 minutes of the church (don't ask me why 12, but 12 it was!!). We shrunk our radius and held tight...one again I'm sure our realtor was SO happy with us!
Offer four was 4 minutes from the church, surely THIS was it! We loved the area...the house was alright, but we LOVED the area. This was it, we were sure...We made a good solid offer, even over asking price...We were the among the first in the house (it went on the market at 9am and we were in it by noon). Seriously, this house was ours...well...no. We were outbid, AGAIN. God had something better...this was our last rejection.
Bill and Mary came to visit us to do some work at the church, how inconvenient the timing was for a house to go on the market. But we knew we needed to see it, so we took them with us! When we got there, we say a little old lady walk in. She was the homeowner and asked if we would mind if she stayed in her office while we walked through, we were her 12th showing (yes, the first day on the market, it was about 2pm, and we were the 12th showing). She was 93 years old and had lived in the house for 56 years. Her husband passed away 22 years ago and it was time for her to move in with family to help take care of her needs. She hated having to sell the house, but it was time. The house was outdated...but we saw potential...I mean, what she didn't update, she maintained amazingly. Could this be OUR house? We decided to go for it. Full asking price. Our realtor called hers to say our offer was coming and tell her our story. He told her that she would love our story. She was a member of his church and knew how important it was to her to sell the house to a young family. This was it...The next day, amid cleaning and painting at the church, we got the call...it was ours!! Finally...Oh, and you want to know how many minutes it is to the church from our house...12 on the dot!! God provided! God provides...how quickly we forget that...thankfully, He is faithful!!!!!!
Our home is wonderful...we pulled out the carpet to expose beautiful hardwood floors. We peeled off wallpaper (shout out to Aunt Kathy, Uncle Dean, Emily, Braden, Calen, Dad...and if I'm forgetting you I'm sorry!). We painted. We installed ceiling fans. We gutted the kitchen. We made it home...and there is no place like it!
(pictures are coming...soon...I promise)
So, all that to say, how can you pray:
Pray that we remain faithful to God's calling and nudging. Pray that we would trust that He provides! I always criticize the Israelites for wanting to go back to Egypt and not remembering how God provided for them day after day...but man, I'm just like them!!
Pray that this home that God has given us would be used for His Kingdom.
Pray for relationships with our neighbors that are developing. God has blessed us so much with this community. Pray we would be intentional.
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