Before We Know It's All Going to Be Okay, Is it Still Okay?

It's a tad anticlimactic by now, but here, at last, is the iconic picture I've been waiting to post.

It takes a little while for all the paperwork to come through before you're allowed to mark your house as "Sold," apparently. But never mind. It's really happening!

It's been an experience, this whole foray into our next adventure. Selling the house was only one step in a series of decisions and arrangements and negotiations and planning. But it was near to the beginning of things, and probably the one that held the most implications.

I'm talking about timing mostly.

To be honest, we expected things to go more quickly. In our minds, that would have set us up for the best schedule of events, both the building and moving in, over the summer. Nice and tidy, everything ready for the fall and a new season to begin in our new home.

But lots has changed in the market in the two years we've been working on this. And no one can predict these things. And what it ended up being was a two month 'delay' on our well laid out plan.

There's a verse in Proverbs I've always loved to quote because it sounds so much like the 'right answer.' But I'm now having to live it out in real time.

"Many are the plans in a person's heart,
but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."
Proverbs 19:21

In our particular case, at least as we see it so far, this 'delay' is actually working out to be to our advantage in a number of surprising ways. And we rejoice in that. We 'bear testimony' to the greater purposes of God and His wisdom in ordering things differently than we would have, because, obviously He knows better. And likely, I'll be writing more about all those surprise benefits in the weeks to come.

But an honest reflection on this text, on this idea, has to include that sometimes we do NOT get to see what the advantages are to God's greater purposes. In fact, a LOT of the time, we don't.

And I'm thinking this is the difference between a superstitious-esque kind of interaction with God, where we try to manipulate outcomes in the tight little spaces of our personal preferences, and a faith that trusts God's work in the unseen and eternal spaces of prevailing purpose, no matter what.

It's all fine and good for me to be happily going about my merry way, now that I can see the benefits in the delay. It was another thing about two weeks ago when I had to 'white-knuckle' it on the faith-ride we were on. In those spaces, I kept hearing the Father ask me if I actually trusted Him the way I claim I do.

So, today, I happily post the SOLD picture, and it's a good day.
But in another way, those un-SOLD days, those were good days too; of being real, of spiritual intimacy, of making sure I really live as if I believe God is who He says He is.

Packing party today. I have iced tea and some other cooling treats ready for the friends who have said they'd stop by. I have packing supplies and markers and labels, and general categories of 'stuff' all lined up. Things are progressing well, and I am enjoying the pace of it. So far at least :).

Thank you, everyone who is praying for us, cheering us on, offering help and a place to sleep in the in between places of our comings and going this summer.

Between July 18 and 'end of November' we will not be homeless. We have a cottage.
We have a community.

Hope your day goes amazingly well, whatever you're up to.