Though I've gone through various seasons of thinking "it is time!", I have never, for one reason or another, been able to go through the process of owning my own home.
When I was single, I found that I really didn't have the money to invest in a home. I couldn't imagine the cost of upkeep--and it just made more sense to rent with a reliable landlord/lady who would help me if anything went wrong, replace things that needed replacing, open the door for me if I locked myself out...
I have been blessed to have some incredible landlords/ladies. From my years in Tahlequah until now, I can honestly say that I have NEVER had a bad landlord/lady, that I have been so very blessed to have incredible men and women rent to me.
Again, as a married woman, there were times that Stephen and I would go "house hunting," but nothing seemed to work out. In our early years of marriage, it was working out credit issues (I had never had a credit card, for one thing). And later, there was a situation with our car loan (because of miscommunication in the first three months of ownership--they told us our payments would be delayed for three months--we had to scramble to get up to date on our payments, and it took a toll on our credit) that kept us from being able to buy a home.
We've never given up on the dream, though.
Every once in a while, we will browse Zillow.com for homes in our area--Stephen and I do this independently, but if there is a listing that piques our interest, that we believe may be "the one," we will advise the other of it. We have, many times, gone to look at a home.
Last December, we found a great little place, not far from where we live, in a newer community of homes in our town. We looked at the home and thought we had "found the one." But before we even started looking for a financier, the house sold to someone else.
We really thought that was the place. We were a little disappointed.
When we thought this might be the place, we had gone out to the home and walked around it, praying. We prayed for the house itself and God's Will for our lives. We could "see" ourselves in the home. It was nice, and it would be our own...But this wasn't God's plan for us.
I must interject here that I am so glad that I am married to someone who believes as I do that God's Will for our lives is the MOST important thing about ANTHING--especially any major decision like this one.
When the house sold, we took a bit of a break looking at houses.
It was months before we started looking again, and we were actually touring another house (that we both KNEW was not the house) when we stumbled upon the Zillow listing for the one we are under contract to purchase now.
(Yes, I said it: we are under contract to purchase a home of our own! But I must tell the story properly...)
When we went to visit the property, we loved the home. So we contacted the real estate agent listing the home and got a tour. Though the listing touted a "MOTIVATED SELLER" (yes, in all caps), when we put in a bid for $140,000 for the listed $175,000, the seller responded with a note that he would not reduce the price.
We couldn't afford it.
Knowing we couldn't afford it, and that this so-called "motivated seller" really wasn't, I started keeping an open eye for other properties within our budget. I thought, "Okay, I must be happy with what we have, with what we have been given and keep my eyes open for THE house..." So, I kept looking.
One afternoon, I suggested to Stephen that we go look at this house for sale on the other side of town. He told me he didn't want to because he still wanted the house on Pleasant Valley Road.
"Well, so do I," I thought. "But if we can't afford it..."
I believe in miracles. So I found myself praying for a miracle. For The Lord to lead us precisely to the house HE had in mind for us. "Lord, help the seller change his mind abou the price--help us know, as you have before, when IT IS YOU. We want a miracle because we don't want to do anything 'in our own power.' We want this to BE YOU."
And so we stopped looking again. And we were just going about our business.
Until last Friday.
Friday morning, Stephen said to me, "I just got a notification from Zillow. They dropped the price of the house on Pleasant Valley Road."
I was literally walking out the door to work and stopped. "What did they drop it to?"
He told me it was listing now for $160,000. (A $15,000 drop!)
We both agreed that we had to "move" on the house. We had to figure out what we could do to get in the house, if at all possible. This is our Dream Home.
I drove by the house on Friday and Saturday, parked in the driveway and prayed while in my van with Psalm. "Your Will be done, Lord," I prayed. "If it's your will, open doors. Make the path straight. If this is not your will, please close the doors in an obvious way."
On Sunday, which happened to be Mother's Day, Stephen drove by the house in the evening and he called the realtor listed on the sign. He left a message, and she called back within 20 minutes and said she'd meet us on Monday.
On Monday, I took Dana and Paula out to the house to see it and pray with me about it. As we held hands on the driveway and prayed, in a circle, we could feel the wind circle us as we prayed. It was an amazing experience.
Since then, in one week's time, Stephen negotiated a price of $157,000 with up to $4500 in closing costs paid by the seller. We are under contract and working with a lender to get the home. This Tuesday, I am taking documents to the lender in Ft. Smith.
As of right now, we are supposed to close on the home in July.
Everything has gone smoothly, supernaturally so.
I wanted to record this so I could look back and remember WHAT GOD HAS DONE!!!
There is no doubt in my mind that He has orchestrated this on our behalf.
On Mother's Day, we had gone to my parents' church in Muldrow. As I knelt at the altar, I saw, in a brief second, a picture of the house in my mind and heard the following, "Don't you know I give the best gifts?"
I had no idea that gift would be coming so swiftly--and I give ALL PRAISE AND GLORY to MY LORD.
We didn't do this. He did.
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