make it happen

The Home Stretch

One more week. My house has been for sale since August 1 and I now have only 1 more week to sell the house before I have to call the Peace Corps and inform them that I cannot leave as scheduled in the first week of March. At which point I don't know what will happen. I imagine they will pull my name from the departing list and put me on a waiting list, telling me to inform them when I do sell the house possibly not leaving until September or October. It is even possible that they will not issue me another invitation at all to serve in the Peace Corps, so you can understand my sense of urgency. It wasn't supposed to be this way. I had a buyer for the house. He had made an offer and I had accepted it and I had called the Peace Corps telling them i was free to leave and that I had no further financial obligations to take care of. The house was supposed to close around Thanksgiving and he was offering cash. By the time it was to close I had given away and sold all of my furniture and posessions and packed what was left into a bedroom closet and a corner of a storage shed at my parents house. Then 2 days before closing... the deal fell through. He pulled out of buying and I was left with the house and no buyer. I was deflated to say the least, but still feeling a bit of hope since I still had 2 months to find another buyer. So here I am. I've done some more work to the house including replacing all 17 windows. I've changed to a more agressive agent in a more agressive market. I've prayed until I'm blue in the face, often times feeling like a nagging kid, begging God to do this because, "...it's a good thing! You HAVE to want me to do this, right? Then sell the house, God! Come on! What are you waiting for??" However in recent weeks my focus has shifted from nagging to trusting. As a Christian, a believing, trusting-in-God Christian, I am bound to believe that God is in control, right? "God's Will" as some will put it in an expression that can seem overused. I call it "God's timing". If God is 'Father' and He is Good then He knows what is best and He is 'Working to the good for those who love Him' and I need to Trust that. I think that is what has been lacking in my faith these past few years, simple belief and trust in a magnificant God of the universie. I study religion, i critique worship and preaching. I think God stuff and pray for my neighbor, but it is my Faith and Belief in a big God that is in control and is actively working, nurturing, teaching, and loving that I have somehow forgotten about. I love the story of Abraham and Lot where they are traveling together and their herds have become to big to continue to travel together. They decide to split ways and Abraham lets Lot pick which side to go. Abraham is the elder, he should pick first, but he lets Lot and Lot of course picks the lush, green side and leaves Abraham w/ the dry, barren land. But the point is that Abraham KNOWS that it doesn't matter. That God has made a promise to provide for him and that regardless of which direction he takes, God is providing. And there it is. That Trust, Faith, and Belief in an all powerful and trustworthy God. So, one more week. The house still shows about 2 times a week and I'm optimistic that I will get an offer next week. I trust in God's provision. But at the same time, I'm ok with whatever He decides is best. And I've found it's a lot easier to do it that way anyway.

posted by Brian R Dunn @ 9:48 PM