Well I got permission to share :-)…and I think the details are so fun and such an example of our Great God. So here’s the deal with our next adventure:
First off, as any of you know who have spent any time with us, we love love love our new church family and especially our new staff who have become like family to us. Our lead Pastor and his wife and kids, though we’ve only known them six or seven months, have welcomed us with amazing love and I feel like I’ve known them forever. But we had no idea just how much they’d welcome us in…
Last summer pastor Joel and his wife Joy (who blogs! Check her out here!) and kids sold their house and began construction on a new house with more room. The floor plan they really loved was really big, and after evaluating the economy, etc. they decided that it was best stewardship to just be conservative and go with something smaller, since they didn’t know what interest rates would be, etc. So, their house gets built in a new housing development just walking distance from our new church building. As our house sells (the one we live in that my brother owns) and we can’t find a place to live, and as their house nears completion, we all realize that their family, our family AND our entire church will be moving the same weekend! We’ve just finished a new church building, so now the Lead Pastor’s family, Associate Pastor’s family, and entire church will be moving the same weekend… I kept thinking, “Lord this is craziness! What are You doing?”
So just weeks before they are planning to move in to their home, they are notified by the city that their house was built just feet too close to the street…and they are now unable to buy that house. What?! I’ve never even heard of something like that! So, the builder–desperate to make a sale–makes them a special deal allowing them to buy the house next to their house for a huge discount. Guess what floor plan that one is? You guessed it. The original large house plan that they loved in the first place. Plus, this one had tons of upgrades that they wouldn’t have justified choosing, but God saw fit to toss them in there for them free of charge :-). And, because interest rates dropped to astonishingly lows, their payment remained nearly the same. That’s God!
So, they found themselves now moving into a huge house with…hmmm…two extra rooms and no furniture for them! So you guessed it: They have generously offered to let us live with them for two months while we wait on the Lord and seek what He has for us next. How amazing is that? God had that house picked out especially for them, knowing it would provide just the space we need. And not only do we have two bedrooms, there’s a little sitting area between them that’s big enough to be our own little family room! It’s like we have our own little flat in the midst of this new beautiful home we get to call our own. As we drove to church today I pointed and said with a chuckle, “Look Dutch! There’s our new house!” 🙂 Plus Dutch is in heaven because there’s so much construction going on he can sit outside and watch dump trucks, cement mixers, and bulldozers all day long. He thinks he’s moving to heaven! Did I mention we’re just walking distance to the church. No more commuting!! Have I mentioned we’re also walking distance to the park? Yeah…every little detail.
So all this to say I am giddy with excitment because I think God is up to something. I am so moved and blessed that Joel & Joy would open up their brand new home to us, that they would practice what they preach, recognizing that nothing is theirs, but all is God’s. A few months back Joel preached on wise stewardship and was talking about sharing with others and he said, “We firmly believe that you don’t have to own it to enjoy it!” Well, Joel, we’re taking your advice. Thanks for letting us enjoy your house!
So thankful, so blessed, so anticipating what God will do next. Blessed to be along for the ride…Move #9 and God’s been in them all. I admit, my prayer is that #10 will be the magic number. 🙂