For those that know us well, Francie & I try very hard to listen to what God is telling us. Without giving too much of us away, on every move/career change/etc we have striven to listen to what God was trying to tell us in the situation. And for the most part, we feel that He has guided us (or for this blog post - told us) through various incidents, "signs", etc as to what we needed -or what He felt was best for us - to do.
So we find ourselves again at this crossroad and we are trying to listen to what God is telling us to do in regards to buying a house where we now live. To try to help you understand what we mean, without giving too much away below is a timeline.
- After accepting a job, we started looking for houses to potentially buy. Know that we have never owned a house before so we are virgins at this and trying to not make mistakes as we go along. In looking at houses, we got in touch with a real estate agent and a financial broker (both we know personally and consider friends).
- We didn't initially buy but continued to look over the period of several months while we have been renting from a family member (a HUGE blessing that we feel so blessed to be able to use). NOTE: We have enjoyed where we are living but there are a few things that we miss that are kinda driving the desire to buy a home.
- After several months of searching we just did not find anything that we loved. Because of our current housing situation we weren’t willing to "settle" for something. We really wanted to find something that we loved and would be happy in for several years. Doesn't have to be permanent but we’re looking at least 5+ years of living there.
- While we were looking, both our real estate agent and our financial broker left the business because of the current economic times. We by no means fault them for making the career change, just a part of life and taking a while to buy a home.
So in all of this we started to think that maybe God was trying to tell us to wait on buying a house. After all we really didn't have 20% to put down on a house in the price range that we were looking in. Besides this we had several other family issues that we were having to deal with (some that have been documented on this blog and Jack's Prayer Requests).
So we were just waiting. That is until this past Thursday night.
Since we have started looking we have had family members occasionally tell us about houses that they have come across. This has been very handy in the housing search as both Francie and I have been swamped with other issues but it allows us to know about houses that we might have missed.
This past Thursday night my mom sent me a house that she found online that we were interested in and I was very interested in (and for those that know me best this is a rare event). So since our agent had resigned from the business we decided to just contact the person selling the house in order to at least look at it.
Well the house went under contract LAST NIGHT!!! WHAT LUCK! AUGH!!!
So my question to everyone out there is.......What do you think God is trying to tell us? We would like to finally get “settled” in the town that we live in, however we don’t want to make an unwise decision and would like to continue our history of listening to God in these life changing decisions. But we are just SOOOO confused. And if God is trying to tell us to wait, how long do we wait? Or is God trying to tell us that we need to move on this more quickly because we might miss out on what we need? The last three times we have been semi-interested in a house by the time we asked to see it, it was under contract. Are we too slow on the trigger? What is your perspective?
2 comments:
Jack and Francie,
I don't have a deep comment about God's timing or what He is saying- but on a very very practical level- you have until November 30,2009 to utilize the new home buyer tax credit of $8000. (If you stay in the house for 3 years you don't have to pay it back) That may be part of God's timing for you? Just a thought....
Mary
I believe sometimes we expect God to give us certain signs and he has all along, just not the ones we expected. It is like the old joke of where the man prays to win the lottery and God finally tells him he has to buy a ticket. OR the husband and wife who was sitting on a roof in a flood and prayed God would rescue them and when they drowned and went to Heaven they ask God why he didn't rescue them. He said I sent a helicoper three times and you waved them off every time. (I know I have told those jokes badly, but I am not a good joke teller and you get the idea!) Anyway, I firmly believe that we have to listen to God and that He will guide us, but we can't set back and wait for him to do the work. So basically I think it is a little of all of what you are saying. Sometimes we as Christians, particularly those who believe God directs us in our everyday lives, will wait until we think we recognize the answer He is giving us, when in fact he has already given us that answer. I am not saying God immediately answers our prayers, sometimes it is a while coming. But I do believe he gives us guidance to what we are asking Him. What I am saying is that sometimes we just don't recognize what He is saying because it is not what we expected.
Having said all that I also believe that when we want something and we don't get it that it was not in the plan of God that it be ours. I personally know you have looked at several houses, but I don't think any of them have been exactly what you wanted. So, it may have been God's plan that these houses not work out because he knew you really were settling for less than what you either wanted or more than you needed.
So just pray, look, think and place it in God's hands and He will guide you. However, don't think long in at least looking at the house. Good ones at good prices go fast!
As you know, I will continue looking for you.
Love, Mom
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