How to Lose Your Dream Home Not Just Once, But Twice (Part 2)

Out of the ashes of my life came God’s beauty.  Grab my hand as I take you to the Cross to show you the great and mighty things that the Lord has done.  “Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not.”  Jeremiah 33:3

If you haven’t read Part 1 of How to Lose Your Dream Home Not Just Once, But Twice, you can read it here. 

Although for many months our situation looked bleak, let me remind you of something:  the Hand of God is never bleak! 

God did many miracles during that time of our lives.  (You can read my post here called, Uncertainty in Difficult Times when my Beloved was rushed to the Emergency Room last October)

In this post I want to tell you about a full week in the month of December that I like to refer to as “The 5 days of Christmas”.  Each day as I opened my door, it was one unexpected miracle after another.

• ·       On the first day of Christmas this is what Jesus did for us:  Two sisters in the Lord came by our house unannounced.  They came bearing gifts and singing a Christmas carol. They left us with some candy treats and $100.00.  God’s faithfulness: money for groceries.
• ·       On the second day of Christmas this is what Jesus did for us:  Dear, old friends came by to drop off several boxes of their old household items for us.  They thought we could sell the items on Ebay or Craigslist and receive the profits.  In addition to the smaller items that they gave us, they informed my Beloved that if he was willing to spruce up and fix some broken items on their old van and then sell it, they would give him 50% of the profits.  We were grateful for their hearts. God’s faithfulness:  The next day we sold some items and my boys got new shoes!
  
• ·       On the third day of Christmas this is what Jesus did for us:   Some new friends asked if they could stop by and see us.  “Of course, I said, we would love to spend some time in fellowship with you!”  God’s faithfulness:  They showed up with wrapped presents for the boys and a card for my Beloved and I.  Guess what was wrapped in those boxes?  Yep, Legos!  Is God cool or what!  My Beloved opened the card and inside was cash totally almost $1,000!  My eyes filled with tears.  I couldn’t believe how gracious and generous this family was towards us…they hardly knew us!  Later my boys told me they saw the money and their eyes welled with tears too!  Jesus was providing for us and my young boys were starting to see the Body of Christ at work.
• ·       On the fourth day of Christmas this is what Jesus did for us:  Our dear, old friends came by again and told us to keep all of the proceeds from the van when it sells.  God’s faithfulness: They also handed us an envelope filled with $400 and said that it was from one of their friends that we had never met.  Our sweet friends told their friends our story and God put it on their hearts to bless us.
• ·       On the fifth day of Christmas this is what Jesus did for us:   Some dear friends gave us a gift card worth $500 to shop for much needed necessities for our family.  God’s faithfulness:  shoes and clothing.

When I think of Christmas now, I can’t help but be reminded of God’s faithfulness to us. No amount of money in our bank account can teach us, nor our children, of how great and faithful our God is.  "There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.”  Deut. 33:26,27

Every present under the tree came from someone else.  My boys said it was the best Christmas ever!

Now here's the part of my story where God emerged as the main character of my life.  

Page after page, month after month, His story for my life was unfolding, yet during this time, I could not read most of the language that Jesus was writing in.  The language that I understood was called:

• ·       Heartache
• ·       Disappointment
• ·       Self-Pity
• ·       Uncertainty
• ·       Fear
• ·       Doubt
• ·      Throne-horder (that’s my new word!)  Here’s what I mean by that.  Jesus is the one who is seated on the throne, being that He is the King of Kings and all.  He is in control of every situation, including your life and mine; the good, the bad and the ugly.  But unfortunately there are times when I want to scoot Jesus off of His throne, and that is when I become a ‘throne-horder’. There may be days that I nudge Him ever so gently with my rear or days when I even ask Him very kindly if He could move over just a bit so I can have a seat.  I am most certain that I stepped on the train of His robe a time or two, as well.  Now, the Lord is a gentleman, He won’t make a fuss. 

That’s just what happened.  I sat on my throne and ruled my kingdom.  Now, I ruled it a little bit differently than most kings because I wasn’t harsh nor mean towards others. Instead, while I sat on my throne I was filled with all the things listed above, even while I believed in the Christ, the Son of the Most High God.  My perspective was wrong and I wasn’t listening to the Lord’s language as He wrote my story.

It wasn’t until a year later that the Lord taught me a new language, and I would have to say, IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL and well worth the heartache and pain in order to hear it!  

This language is known as:

• ·       His Presence
• ·       His Faithfulness
• ·       His Sovereignty
• ·       His Miraculous Hand (Watch me daughter and I will show you many great things)
• ·       His sufficiency (and not my own)
• ·       His grace and mercy
• ·       His plan for my marriage to be stronger than ever
• ·       His spiritual gifts that He has chosen to give me
• ·       His desire to want to use me
• ·       His shaping of my children’s character
• ·       His perfect plan for my life

While I was reading this story, even though I had a hard time understanding most of the language that God used, there was one thing I did understand, and that was who the main character was.  It was me!

After I finished reading this story, however, I realized that God was and is the main character.  He is the leading man and star of the show.  Oh how I wished I could have read that language when I first started reading the pages of this book. I think my life would’ve been easier if I just had a different perspective.

For now, my book/story is not over.  Hopefully as more pages unfold of my life, I will get out of the way and let God take center stage; so He can be lifted up for all to see. "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."  John 12:32

My encouragement to you dear sister:  When you face trials and tribulations, move off the throne and let God take center stage of your life as well.  You won’t regret it!

 

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Be Anxious for Nothing

Anxious was the word that described me the day I heard the news that we had to move again.  The day when the Bank told us we needed to move out of our house that was foreclosed upon.  

First, let me take you back to the day of July 11, 2011, when our home was sold back to the Bank.  I had prayed that morning for Not My Will, But Yours Be Done knowing full well that my life was in the Lord’s hands (which is the best place for it to be but yet a scary place because I had no control over the situation).  As I heard the news that our house did in fact sell that day, the Lord brought a friend to my mind. 

“You need to call your friend”, was the Lord’s prompt to my spirit.  Seeing how this friend of ours was a male friend I told my husband he should call his buddy.  Now this friend of ours owns a home that my husband sold to him well over 10 years ago but this man had recently married and bought a new home with his bride.  I wasn’t even certain if our friend even still owned his old home or if he was renting it or what the situation was.  All I knew was the Lord prompting me to have my husband give our friend a call.

A few days later the Bank’s agent shows up and tells us about our property being sold and so forth.  She tells us to just stay put because the Bank is so back logged and we could end up staying in our home for several months.  Okay great, I thought.  As soon as I was done speaking with her and shut the door, again, the Lord prompts my spirit and says, “You should call your friend.”

My husband gets home from his day of work and I share with him all that has taken place and I tell him again what the Lord has put on my heart about him calling our friend.  He takes it all in. 

We wait to hear more news from the Bank.  In our minds we are thinking that we will be in our home for several months based on what the agent shared with us, yet, less than a week later we get a voice mail message telling us that the Bank is going to offer us a relocation package (cash to move out of our property if we are out in 30 days).

Jesus parted the Red Sea in my life.

The money sounded great, but the 30 days seemed impossible along with having the money upfront for the first month’s rent and a deposit to rent a place.  We didn’t have the cash for it and our credit was a huge obstacle where most would not rent to us.  We needed to make a decision.  I became anxious.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6,7

I cried out to my God, my Father, my Savior and my closest friend in my time of need.  I brought my petitions before the Lord and laid them at His feet.  "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  Hebrews 4:16

As I was trying to Sleep in the Boat with Jesus during my storm, the following morning on July 20^th, sisters in Christ lifted up my situation to the Lord in prayer.  “Call on me in prayer and I will show you great and mysterious things that you do not know about.” Jeremiah 33:3 

I will show you great and mysterious things….I just love that! 

Here was my prayer to my God.

Lord, where ever you send me, I will do my best to be content. No matter the size of the home and the location.  I will submit to Your will because You know what is best for us. “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”  1 Timothy 6:6-8

And because you are my Dad, I know you want to know the desires of my heart so here they are:

• ·      I’d like a house with extremely low rent.
• ·     I’d like a house in a safe neighborhood, and in case you are asking, I’d like it to be on a cul-de-sac.
• ·     I’d like a 3 bedroom so we have a room for the bride and groom, a room for my boys and a room for an office for my Beloved.
• ·     I’d like 2 bathrooms because I’m tired of cleaning 3.
• ·     I’d like a clean and well-maintained home.
• ·     2 car garage, so my Beloved can store all of his tools so he can continue to make a living.
• ·     Indoor laundry, so I don’t have to deal with sawdust and metal shavings getting all over the clothes.
• ·      I’d like the house small so I don’t have to manage and clean a lot.
• ·     Oh and by the way, I would love to have a nice pretty yard with a pool.

This was a tall order and unrealistic wish list but I knew my God could move mountains. So I prayed.  (It doesn't hurt to ask!)

The rental homes that we could afford were 2 bedroom homes in undesirable areas.  According to all of the properties that I had searched, this dream home did not exist in our price range.  But it did exist in God’s!  Remember, the verse, “Call on me in prayer and I will show you great and mysterious things”?

Here’s God’s great and mysterious things that He did on our behalf.

That same day as sisters in Christ lifted me up in prayer, my Beloved calls his friend.  His friend informs him that he is renting his home but he is not renewing the current tenants lease because they are not maintaining the property very well; the owner likes to keep his home very nice. (smile)  The tenants will be getting out of the property at the end of September. If we were willing to mow the lawn and clean the pool instead of him paying for those expenses, the amount of rent would come to…yep, you guessed it- the EXACT amount that I had in mind and prayed for.   

Here’s more great things about the house:

It has 3 bedrooms

2 baths

2 car garage

On a cul-de-sac

Indoor laundry

Nice neighborhood

With a pretty yard and a pool

On top of all the wonderful attributes of the home, the owner knows us and he knows our entire situation.  Our credit score is not an issue with him.  That’s the exact list that I had prayed for.  The Lord truly does great and mysterious things.  "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."  Hebrews 11:6

So my Beloved negotiated with the Bank to allow us 45 days before we needed to move out, which will be Sept. 3^rd and our move in date at the rental home is October 1^st, so for a month our closest and dearest friends have graciously opened their home to us so we can live with them until we move again.  “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:19

At the beginning of this journey I asked you in an earlier post titled, Are Trials Really Good for Us? if you wanted to join me as we watch God together show us His hand of faithfulness as He performs miracles in this situation.  Did you see Him show up in all of this?  Did you see Him part the Red Sea in my life the way He parted the Red Sea in the life of the Israelites?  I pray you did and I do hope your faith in Christ has been strengthened as a result of what I have testified.

Yes, I became anxious and fearful as I cried out to the Lord, but His Word is clear.  Be anxious about nothing!  Although we become anxious in our trials, we never need to be.  Boldly bring your requests to God.  Even when you don’t understand or you can’t figure out how things will work out, He will give you the peace that surpasses your understanding.  "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."  Romans 8:28 

He continually does miracles in my life and He will do the same in your life as well. 

Keep seeking Him because You will find Him,

 
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