Burlingame.
That was what I thought our address would be.
We found a house, a foreclosure. It was big and it was in great shape, and a GREAT price. We knew we wanted to buy it. But, there was already someone in the process of buying it. I can't tell you how many times I have thought and prayed for this house in the past 2 months. There was some difficulty with the buyers getting their financing and we were back and forth hearing from the realtor about whether it was going to close. I dreaded April 10th, because I knew that was the proposed closing date and the date that my dream/vision/whatever would "die." I prayed earnestly that the Lord's will be done, but if it could be this house, that would be great! :) As I laid down to sleep on April 9th, peace came over me. Knowing that God is a good God and longs to give good gifts to His children, I knew that I could rest in knowing that whatever happened, He was still in control. So, sure enough, the house sold on April 10th. It was a relief, really, to me that I didn't have to keep thinking about it after a month and a half. It was similar to David, when he prays and prays for child born to him through Uriah's wife, but then when the child does die, he goes and worships the Lord. (2 Samuel 12) Now that the house was a done deal, I could stop praying and worrying and thinking about it constantly. :)
So, here we are. We are living at my parents' house. We closed on our house (selling) at the end of March and didn't have a house to live in, so we moved up here for the time being. I am so thankful for my parents being willing to take in a family of 6 into their home and them making it clear that we are more than welcome to stay as long as we need to. It has been going well...except for the fact that I am failing to stay on top of all the laundry I need to do. :) The boys are loving being on the mountain, and playing and getting dirtier than ever, and having a cousin within walking (or bike riding) distance, and playing everyday with him, and riding the 4-wheeler, and playing in the barn, and hay, and tractor, and wagon, and feeding the chickens, and did I mention getting dirtier than ever? :)
I am enjoying getting back into a routine of running consistently. My sister, Gracie, and I are tag-teaming...watching each other's kids while we go for a run. We are planning on running the Cotton Row 5k at the end of next month.
We just made an offer on this house.
Definitely not as great of a deal as the last one, but I really like this house. I have not let myself become attached to it, though. I am praying that the Lord's will will be done and I have had peace in knowing that if it is not this house, He has better things for us (even if we don't think of them as better :). Oh, how much He has taught me about trusting Him and His will in this time! Here is something I wrote on that a couple weeks ago:
We know that God has a perfect plan, even when we can't see it. And that is what He has been trying to teach me as we go through this transition. We had a house we wanted. He said no. But, isn't that the beauty of God's plan? That He guides us by His "yes" or His "no?" That we can pray with faith, but His answer is best. (Read here for a great post on that!) He has been teaching me that even when things aren't going the way I planned or hoped, that His purpose stands and He is faithful and He knows way more than I do about the situation and HE will act in His time, in His way, and it is far greater than we could ever know.
So, you can pray for us. That we would be able to get into a house!! That God's will would be done. And that we would rest content in whatever He has, knowing that it is far greater than what we can see. One day, I hope to look back and be able to say that it was Him that brought us and lead us into things we did not know and places that only He knew.
Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us
Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us
Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Matt Redman - Never Once
