Will We Be Signing the Papers?

We went on Sunday and met with the owner of the house and his wife. Our entire family plus our pastor and his wife showed up to visit the house that I hoped would be mine. And then, I backed slowly out of the room we had gathered in and ran to the living room with my pastor's wife hot on my heels. "Are you okay?" She asked. It was obvious that I wasn't. I was very afraid to do something that wasn't meant to be done. Did God want us to have this house? Were we rushing into something that didn't have a thing to do with God's will? I told her what was bothering me and she walked over to the hall coat closet and said, "Do you believe that God will close the door on something that is not His will if you pray for that?" I told her that I did. So she opened the closet door, very easily. She said, "No matter how hard we want something, if we're praying for God's will, this door won't open." She closed it again, pretending that it wouldn't open, no matter how badly she wanted it to. "Sometimes," she went on, "we keep going and keep going against what God wants and He allows the door to open saying, 'there you go, there's your trouble.'" It made sense. Minutes later, my husband came into the living room with information showing that the door had been opened wider. 

So now we hope to move in this weekend. Of course, money will call the shots on this one and if we have the right number, we'll be in. If not, we have to wait a little longer. But, the house is ours. We've already gotten our quote on homeowner's insurance. I'm very excited though I'm not looking forward to moving while working around Dean's work schedule. We can't afford for him to take a day off at this point. I'm not going to worry however, about something that God has control of. 

The Back Story

If I'm going to share news, I need to let you know that for the past 18 years, we've struggled. One thing after another forced us to scrimp and save. No fun. We're spent these past 18 years looking for our perfect home only to find ourselves still looking in 2009. But this year, I decided that I'm not doing this alone anymore. My New Year's Resolution for 2009 was to increase my faith in God. I want to multiply that faith and build a stronger relationship with Him. And so this begins my 2009 year and I'll update as I go. What am I updating? My blessings. 

I am also the author of the Sonshine Girls book series and book one, Summer Secret released on December 13th. I am praying that God will open many doors for this series and that it will realize its 10 book potentioal. Book two's publication is dependent on the success of book one. Considering I was published by a small press, many would say, "good luck." I say, God is bigger.

On January 5th, my husband and I drove out to look at a house that someone had given us the number to. I'll just say right now that there was no way we were even getting out of the suburban to take a look. We turned around and left. On the way home, on a whim, he turned into this subdivision and pulled into a driveway of a pretty little sage-green house. I was on the phone and DH talks loud so I kicked him out. When he got back in, he put the suburban in reverse and began to back out. I got off the phone and asked, "Can't we look at it?"

He told me that we were headed to see the owner who was just around the corner at another property he owned. He drove around, found the cutest 77 year old man standing in the driveway with a cell phone attached to his ear, looking for us. DH got out and went inside the house with him. I sat in the driveway because Joshua (almost four year old) was sleeping. He woke up, climbed in the front seat and waited. Joshua wanted to sit in my lap and I said he could so he climbed into the front to sit with me. "Do you like this house?" I asked him. He sat up, looked at it, really thought about it.

"Yes." He said and put his head back on my shoulder.

"Well," I said, "I believe we'll have a house before we go home today." And I meant it. On Sunday, a missionary visited our church and told us that when we ask God for something, don't go to him as a beggar, but as a true child of God! Simply be honest and say, "Father, I need (insert need here)." Well, we need a new house! So I prayed right then and there and I believed that God would answer and provide. And He did!

My biggest prayer is for God's will. I want nothing if God doesn't approve. We are supposed to go and sign the papers for this house on Monday. Wait! I got all off track didn't I? The owner came out of the house where he was and took us to see the little green house. Have you ever walked into a home and just knew it wasn't for you? That's how I felt. I just didn't feel at home. But they (dh and owner) insisted that this house was better than the other. It was better because it had a garden tub and also bigger rooms and a covered back porch. So we went to see the other one.

I took about three steps into this other house and knew that I loved it. I wanted it. I felt at home. As long as this house is God's choice for us, I want it. So far, it seems to be. We all know that God has a sense of humor though, right? So I'll update you about the house situation and I'll share with you the blessings through out 2009.