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| Photo by Peter Boccia on Unsplash |
I was walking as quickly as possible with a pregnant belly, two young boys in tow (one wailing about losing a cup with a caterpillar), and one more on my hip. I was breathless, foggy, and desperate to get as far away from the voice berating me for not allowing my oldest to go back for his caterpillar so I could let myself crumble under the emotions of a difficult couple of weeks, a rough morning, and some incredibly painful news.
Although my heart had been prepared for the news I had just received, my head was not there yet.
Our landlord had just informed me that they were listing the house that we were living in. Springtime is the ideal selling time and the market was primo! They had never set out to be landlords and just felt it was best for their family.
We knew that. We had been waiting for the news but didn't expect it to arise so suddenly.
My heart panicked a little - ok, a lot. I shoved the kids in the car and through tears, tried to encourage my oldest that his cup and caterpillar would bless the next boy that came along and grabbed them.
We pulled out of the sculpture park parking lot and after the round-about, I got a hold of my mom. Through breathless blubbering, I was able to tell her, "they're listing the house. We have to move again."
More than anything else, I was afraid. Neither one of us had good enough credit to get a mortgage. There was zero available as far as tasteful places to rent inside of our $700-$900 budget the whole thing just seemed so bleak and hopeless.
God had so faithfully come through for us in the tight places every other time we had to move, I knew he wouldn't let us down this time; but I couldn't help but feel afraid. I was so in love with the home that we had been blessed with for the year prior. How could I ever love another place as much? How could another place ever be as "home" as Lindstrom had?
As I spent days combing over craigslist ads, classifieds, and street signs, I grew weary. I collapsed to the point of having to simply sit with the kids. I was 7 months pregnant with three at home, trying to keep a house clean for showings, hoping not to disappoint or let down our landlords while looking for a place that would adequately fit our growing family.
It came to a point where I was chatting with my dad one day and I (half jokingly) asked, "do you think Grandma would buy a place and we could rent to own it from her?"
My dad said he already talked to her about it and she was waiting for a call from us.
Can you say, MIND BLOWN?!
NEVER, in my WILDEST dreams did I EVER think that someone would buy a home for us to rent to own from them.
The timing was so highly ordained, there is nothing else it could have been other than God's finger gently guiding all of the events.
About the same time our landlord gave me the news, my grandma had received word that the couple renting her condo was going to pay her outright for it.
We got together and began house hunting.
We looked at four houses, three of which just wouldn't have suited us (or fit all of us), and the fourth one, well...you know.
Of all the moves we've made, this one was the most difficult. I was so exhausted emotionally, physically, and mentally - I could barely manage to pack and move things around.
But, contrary to that, of all the moves we've made, this one was THE easiest to SETTLE at. From the first night we spent here, we were HOME. From the first box I unpacked, it was where we were supposed to be.
Neither Andrew, or myself take the generosity of my grandma lightly. It weighs heavy on us and we are SO incredibly humbled and grateful for the gift that she has given us. None of this would have been possible without her graciousness and without the Omnipotent hand of God.
Thanks to my heavenly Father, and my generous grandma, my heart is home. Our family is settled.
I am settled.
That's such a wonderful story! So amazing to see God working like that and I pray that you have many years settled in this new place.
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