God’s Kindness

Posted on July 21, 2015

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Last year, my parents informed us that they would be selling the home we grew up in and moving to a one-level, smaller home.

I’ve lived in this home since I was two. In fact, I remember sitting on the edge of the brick fireplace with mom as she pointed out the rooms that were yet-to-be. Only a wooden frame.

I remember how much I loved my bedroom- I had a canopy bed!

I remember sledding down that front hill and listening to mom read me Charlotte’s Web on the front porch swing (we both cried when Charlotte died).

I remember dancing in circles to the gospel quartet music dad would play on the big stereo in the living room.

I remember convincing my brother to play with Barbies, and setting up the entire house as a giant Nancy Drew mystery for all the neighborhood kids.

I could literally write for hours and not capture all of the wonderful things that this house has seen though the years. So saying goodbye has been hard. Not as hard as saying goodbye to mom last winter, but hard.

I started to pray at the beginning of the summer for God to be kind in this transition- for him to make this seemingly horrible thing a joy. For Him to make the process as easy as possible. For all of us to see Him at work in this- making it ok- making it just the next step in His always-for-the-best path for our family.

The sorting and organizing and saying goodbye to the things that remind me of mom and home was so hard. I hated it. I had a melt-down about a dumb colander that mom used for years and I simply could not keep. I watched families walk down the driveway with our holiday decorations and dishes. I found myself wandering the rooms of our house trying to capture as many memories as I could before this place was lost to me.

We took pictures of the house and dad called his friend Phil who is a realtor. We planned a date to list it and I kept praying for it not to be so hard.

And then God….

The Sunday before it went on the market, a friend from church (who used to be a neighbor), called and asked when we were planning to sell the house. She thought her son might be interested.

He wasn’t- but he knew another couple at church who was looking for a house like ours. They’d been looking for months.

They came over to see it and knew immediately it was the perfect house for them.

Here’s the cool part: They grew up at our church and went through mom’s Sunday school class. They probably came to pool parties that mom hosted when they were kids. Mom loved them both. She would be thrilled that her house is going to this young family. An offer has been settled on, and if all goes as planned they will close near the end of August and our home will become the home of a dear sweet couple who grew up as a part of our church community.

God was so kind to us in this. The house didn’t even go on the market. So. Kind.

Please pray for all the inspections (two of them tomorrow, in fact!) and loans to go through without an issue!!!

Please pray for God to guide dad in choosing a house in Florida. He is taking Stephanie and I along with him in a couple of weeks to pick one out.

I feel myself just kicking and fighting my way through all of this change…losing a job, losing mom, changing careers, moving dad… I’m so thankful that God is kind in His taking away and giving. He is gentle in the taking and so generous in the giving.

Please pray for us these next few weeks. Lots of change and lots of important decisions to be made.

Stephanie and I are also trying to fit in as much time by our beloved pool as we can before it’s gone!! Go away rain and cold!!! 🙂

In other news- My trip out east has been VERY helpful for my support: I’m at 82% of my monthly support!!!!! Only 18% left to raise before September 1st!!  Praising God for this- and inviting you (again!) to join my monthly support team, and help me get to the end of support raising and to the beginning of FULL TIME work with Josiah Venture!! I can’t wait!!

You can join my team by clicking here, or email me at the same link if you would like a support card mailed to you!

Thanks for being a part of all the ups and downs of life with me~ I thank God for you all the time!!!

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. Job 1:21