We're still here
(our front yard)The house had been up for sale since March 8, or so. In the first two weeks that the sign was up, we kept the insides very, very clean. Clutter was gone, trash was put out regularly, even the lovely smell of Febreze refreshed us often.
We had one realtor call for a walk through.
And then time went by, and my baby-belly grew, and I got a little tired. And no one called to look at the house. And more time went by and I had a baby born, and I was very tired. And the house looked like 5 kids and no grown-ups lived here.
And then I had a 6-week old, the house was not looking much cleaner, some clutter was creeping back in. But. No one came to peek at these wonderful living quarters. Not a one. Nada.
So we dropped the price. We looked at various home around the area. And still no one came to see our place or make an offer.
So we took the house off the market.
We can survive in this house, 7 of us, for now. The baby is little, doesn't take up too much space yet. Although her stuff sometimes seems to take more space than she does!
I have been wondering why God has 'kept' us here. Why hasn't someone come to look, or offer to buy? Why does my husband still have to drive to Washington and Idaho for work at least one week a month if not more?
And then we had our next door neighbors over for dinner. We had a great visit with these new friends of ours. We don't see eye to eye on everything, but we enjoy each other's company. Our kids play together; we share food; we even share the proverbial "cup of sugar" when in need.
And it began to dawn on me that maybe God has kept us here for a reason - that which lives across the fence.
I just read a devotion that sort of speaks to your situation. I've got to share it in its entirety:
ReplyDeleteThe prophet Jeremiah told us God would fulfill His promise of a Savior. The people could look forward to someone who would save them from captivity. What did they expect as an answer to their prayers? They thought the Messiah would be a powerful leader, capable of subduing an empire and ushering in God's reign. But instead of answering the promise as they anticipated, God did the opposite. He sent a servant who would die on the cross for their sins. God often does that. He answers or prayers in unexpected ways. We ask for healing, but God chooses to give us strength for each day. We ask for relief from our trails, but God helps us endure and grow stronger. We ask God to deal with our adversaries; instead, He transforms our attitudes. God is always faithful to His promises - He just doesn't do things the way we expect. When you don't see answers to prayer that you are anticipating, take a look to see if God is blessing in unexpected ways. (Read Jeremiah 33:14-17)
Blessings,
Jenn
That's true -- you might be there to serve as a mentor for others in the community.
ReplyDeleteI want to say thank you to Jenn for sharing the beautiful devotion. Although I don't know you, I appreciate you sharing! It brought tears to my eyes and I was able to share it with my sister who is going through a difficult time right now. It's amazing how our actions touch those you never even realize! So thank you :)
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