Our house went off the market today. What a crazy few months it's been. I've come to realize that this process has been more about my heart than anything else. We began the year with an unexpected solid renter for our house. In AZ it's a great time to buy but not the best time to sale. So we were off with my dad looking at houses and landed on an amazing house at an unbelievable price. It was more house and more beautiful than I'd ever though we'd be able to own. After a week of negotiating with the bank it
was looking like it was going to work out. Than at the last minute someone else came and offered more than we were able to and the house was theirs. It was painful but also very clear that it wasn't the Lord's will. Through that process we realized that weren't comfortable with the risk of owning two homes so we geared up to try to sale our house instead. That too was revealing... Calls from Realtor's who gave me two hours notice, I would clean for the entire two hours, pack up my kids and leave for the hour they said they'd come (both times it was dinner hour) and return to find out that they never came and weren't going to come. That happened twice and let's just say I was very tempted! That on top of many other last minute calls of Realtor's who would actually come.
Thinking about moving to another house is interesting and revealing because now our three bedrooms is not enough I would want four at least, preferably five, and there has to be at least two sinks in the guest bathroom I'm tired of the three kids sharing one, and now that I think about it I really don't like my laminate counter tops I would want corian or something more upgraded. I start thinking surely we can't have another child in our small three bedroom home and what about homeschooling? Wouldn't life be easier if I had a school room? And before I know it my desires have turn into needs and I've forgotten all about the riches I have in Christ.
Thankfully this is not the state of my heart as I follow my husband in taking our house off the market and waiting a few more years. I am totally content and actually excited about the thought of not stretching ourselves financially. The kids are thrilled, they never really wanted to move in the first place. They had a game of going outside and throwing rocks at the sign to see who could knock it down. At one point Chris reminded me that we could indeed go and get a bigger house for our family. I could go back to work and put the kids in day care, he could leave the ministry for a higher paying job and off we'd go to find our dream home. If that's what we were called to but it's not. That was helpful to remember because I wouldn't trade the call on our lives for ministry and the privilege it is to serve the Lord in such a way, for any home! And let's face it we really aren't sacrificing at all, our house is beautiful, one that we got only by the grace of God. We live a mile from the church and love our neighbors! So it might feel a little small for our growing family but we have hopes that when the time is right the Lord might indeed provide a way for us to move. All the while knowing that no house on earth can truly satisfy us, we will never feel at home until we are with the Lord in heaven, our eternal home.
I had always thought about how fun it would be to post pictures of our new house once we moved... so instead here are some pictures of our house all cleaned up at it's best :-)
Now I'm off to make a mess and not clean it up for a few days :-)
6 comments:
BEAUTIFUL!!!! Congrats!!!! And glad this season is "over" for ya! ; )
What a great post Tara. I was so blessed as I read it! Thanks for honestly sharing . . . it's inspiring!
Tara, Joel and I have moved 10 times in our 9 years of marriage - (wow, I don't think I've ever counted until today - yikes!) And so I know all too well those awakened desires you speak of. I am pleased that we have a home now (with some frightfully ugly features, I might add - and zero curb appeal :)- except for maybe the trees :)) a home where we can be settled in our hearts to serve our family and others with no thoughts of moving -- agghhh!! Your house looks beautiful all cleaned up!! Blessings, Christa
Wow Christa you've got us beat for sure! I look forward to that settled feeling one day. I told Chris that was a big reason why I wanted to keep our house up- knowing it was inevitable we'd move in a few years, I'd rather just do it now... but I do agree it's better to wait and wait we will :-)
Gday Tara! I still read your blog all the time and am continually encouraged and challenged by your vulnerable posts about what the Lord shows you in different parts of your lives. Thank you for being so honest! I have to say that we have moved 15 times in 12 years of marriage... so I am now a qualified professional removalist!!! We are almost done with our time at theological college and as I peruse the internet for homes to move to, I too have been tempted to think of all the nice things I would want in our next home, rather than trusting that the Lord will supply exactly what we NEED, not exactly what we WANT! I was very challenged by your post and grateful for the timing of it in our own lives. May I encourage you also, that as a family of 8, we have 3.5 bedrooms, with the 5 older kids sharing the main bedroom and the baby in her own room. It might sound crazy, but they love it and think it is like having a sleepover or camp out every night! You can be creative with a big family and over come space problems with the Lords help! Bless you and your precious family! Thanks again for serving others with your desire for Godliness!
Love from Meg in Australia
Hi Tara,
I went through a similar thought process as I attempted to convert our office/guest room/guitar and photo equipment storage room into a nursery. I found it so tempting to say "we only have a three bedroom house" as if somehow it is an American's right to have a room for each child PLUS an extra room.
And then I remembered my parents. For a few years they had 7 kids between 1 and 14 in a 3 bedroom house in Mesa that was only 900s/f AND we were homeschooled and my mom was disabled! On top of that for a significant part of that time they only had 1 car so we were home all the time. Talk about crazy! But what really struck me is that when I think back on it I have no recollection of it being small or feeling crowded. To me it was normal. It's only as an adult that I realize it was incredibly small.
Post a Comment