In the last 9 years, I have moved 10 times. Sometimes twice in one year. There were only two years during the last 9 years (and they were non-consecutive two years) that I didn't have at least one move. I haven't had true roots or a true home since I graduated high school and moved out of my childhood home. Even in college where I returned home for the first two summers, my childhood home was crumbling emotionally and physically so even that didn't feel like home anymore.
Then I met Daniel, and home became less about a place but more about being with a person. And for the last four years, being with him was home. But now we are exiting the phase where that's "enough." Now we are entering the phase where we are desperate for roots. For a place of our own. To settle. To not just exist from place to place but to live and grow and love.
I am excited to announce that about a two months ago we began the ever frustrating and ever confusing process of house hunting. I have lost track of how many houses we've viewed in person, and there are countless houses that we've considered online. We put a bid on a foreclosure but lost the bid. That was the first huge heart break. Then a month after that, we put an offer on a house that was "okay" and "would do," and in hidsight we can identify that we did so because we felt totally defeated after hunting and hunting and hunting and not finding what we were wanting. We felt like our expectations were too high so we felt like we had to settle. So we did. And the closer we got to closing on that house, the worse we felt about going through on the deal. In our hearts we didn't feel like it was the right choice. So in the 11th hour we decided to walk from that house.
We felt horrible for letting the sellers down and for having put them through everything only to walk away. But it was what we had to do because it was what was right for us. We couldn't buy a house just to make someone else feel better. It was a very emotional decision, wrought with tears and sadness. Heartbreak number two.
It was back to the hunt. That afternoon we found out that we had less than a month to find another house before our loan expired. Could we get another loan offer? Absolutely. But it would come with a higher interest rate and we'd lose over $2,000 in discounts. So it wasn't just back to the hunt. It was a racing hunt.
Our realtor sent us lists of dozens of houses to look into online and we were ruthless. "Yes" "No" "Yes" "Yes" "Maybe." We scheduled viewings for the weekend.
Wednesday night Daniel was working and I was on my own. I went to check our PO Box and decided to just ride around a little bit and see if I could find some houses for sale and check out neighborhoods. I stumbled upon a neighborhood I'd never been in before. It wasn't huge, and was just tucked away from the busy streets. The houses were cute and the neighborhood was quiet. It was a mix of families, middle aged, and elderly. It felt perfect. And there were a few houses for sale that had flyers -- but they were priced waaaay above our price range. My heart fell and I went home. That clearly wasn't going to be a neighborhood that was going to work out.
And then Thursday morning our realtor sent me a single listing. It was in our price range. It literally had EVERYTHING we wanted in a house. It was beautiful. It was perfect. It was in the neighborhood I had driven through just the night before. It was listed Thursday morning.
We were desperate for a viewing. We wondered if we even needed a viewing (it was that perfect) and if we should just make an offer sight un-seen. But I knew that at the least Daniel needed to go look at it (he's the pickier of the two of us when it comes to house hunting). So he and the realtor went Friday morning. We put an offer in Friday afternoon, an offer both our realtor and the sellers realtor were convinced that they would either outright reject or counter. And much to our surprise, the sellers accepted our offer!
So we are under contract!!
Pinch me. Because this is unreal to me. Every single part of this house has been God's work. The fact that I'd ridden through this neighborhood just the night before. The fact that we were the first viewing. The fact that they accepted our offer that was under their asking price (and their asking price was way under-valuing the house) and included them paying closing costs. The fact that they accepted our offer even though they had three other showings scheduled that weekend (and may have gotten a better offer). The fact that the house has EVERYTHING. The fact that the house is in our budget. Just thinking about all of it... It brings tears to my eyes because this can't be coincidince. This is God's work in our lives. This is God's provision. This is God's gift of hope, joy, encouragement, and love. This would not have occurred without his timing and his interference. My heart is so full just realizing that he cares about something so small as our house. About not just providing for our basic needs, but for our comfort and simple pleasure/enjoyment. He has so much to attend to, but he took the time to find us a house. A home. Roots. The object of our hearts right now.
God is good all the time.
All the time God is good.
Praise!!
So now we pray that it doesn't fall through. We pray for a quick process. And God willing, we will be moving within a month! Hopefully the last move for a good long time. :) :)
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