If you follow my
blog, you know we are living with my parents right now while we wait for some property we own to sell so that we can look for a house. I don’t know where we
will find our future home, or when we will find it, or what it will look like.
I have a wish list of likes and preferences and must-haves. I would love something pretty, but if I can dress it up with fresh paint and a pretty front door wreath, I’d be game. As much as I strive daily for surrender and contentment regarding where we live right now, I am ready with all my heart to have a home of my own again.
Our realtor has a special house search tool that emails us every time that a house with our
specifications comes onto the market. Every time I get one of those emails, my
heart leaps a little in my chest, and I can’t help but think to myself:
Am I about to see my future home?
specifications comes onto the market. Every time I get one of those emails, my
heart leaps a little in my chest, and I can’t help but think to myself:
Am I about to see my future home?
I
remember having many oh-so-similar thoughts regarding my future husband before I
met him.
remember having many oh-so-similar thoughts regarding my future husband before I
met him.
Waiting on a house is kind of like waiting on a spouse.
These past couple of
years have taught me that home is where my people are. It’s not all about the
house. I think that there is a similar way of thinking that single people have to
internalize for themselves: it’s not about the spouse.In both cases of waiting, if our lives are oriented all-the-way towards God,
then our primary vocation right now is to spread His fragrance from where we are planted, and wait on Him to reveal
His perfect will for any next steps in His timing.
years have taught me that home is where my people are. It’s not all about the
house. I think that there is a similar way of thinking that single people have to
internalize for themselves: it’s not about the spouse.In both cases of waiting, if our lives are oriented all-the-way towards God,
then our primary vocation right now is to spread His fragrance from where we are planted, and wait on Him to reveal
His perfect will for any next steps in His timing.
I had never dated
before I met Michael, aside from less than a handful of dates my
freshman and sophomore years of college. I think I didn’t date more because I was so busy with work and school, although I think the biggest reason was that was very picky.:)
before I met Michael, aside from less than a handful of dates my
freshman and sophomore years of college. I think I didn’t date more because I was so busy with work and school, although I think the biggest reason was that was very picky.:)
Then, I heard something my sophomore year that changed my perspective on dating entirely. The longer I had to wait to meet my future husband, the more God
was working on him for me–and me for him.
It had never occurred to me that God
was preparing us for one another.After
that, I started praying for my future spouse. I tried my best to stop looking for my future husband all the time, and instead I tried to focus on the present and wait for God to bring us together. Since I first shared
that piece of advice with Michael, we have recounted many times how we met at
truly the first opportunity that we would have been interested in one other.
God brought us together at the perfect time. I was 19, and Michael was 23. And that is our story.:)
was working on him for me–and me for him.
It had never occurred to me that God
was preparing us for one another.After
that, I started praying for my future spouse. I tried my best to stop looking for my future husband all the time, and instead I tried to focus on the present and wait for God to bring us together. Since I first shared
that piece of advice with Michael, we have recounted many times how we met at
truly the first opportunity that we would have been interested in one other.
God brought us together at the perfect time. I was 19, and Michael was 23. And that is our story.:)
Our story on the
home-front isn’t quite as fun to tell.But even with all the twists and turns and
crosses, we’ve tried to live such that we can only say we’ve always made God a
part of our decisions to the best of our abilities. We had a lovely first home in
Houston in a great neighborhood, then we quit Michael’s NASA job to start our
own business, later sold the business to take another job back in Louisiana, and
have been living with my parents since then. It’s been a mega-incredibly-unbelievably rich and grace-filled time, but sometimes messy. And sometimes really, really hard. It has helped me to think of our next home as being prepared for us. I pray for the people who will buy our property and for the people who will sell us their home.
home-front isn’t quite as fun to tell.But even with all the twists and turns and
crosses, we’ve tried to live such that we can only say we’ve always made God a
part of our decisions to the best of our abilities. We had a lovely first home in
Houston in a great neighborhood, then we quit Michael’s NASA job to start our
own business, later sold the business to take another job back in Louisiana, and
have been living with my parents since then. It’s been a mega-incredibly-unbelievably rich and grace-filled time, but sometimes messy. And sometimes really, really hard. It has helped me to think of our next home as being prepared for us. I pray for the people who will buy our property and for the people who will sell us their home.
Every couple’s love story is
different. Some married couples meet late in life. Some meet when they are
children. Some have the gift of loving more than one God-given spouse in a
lifetime. It’s the same with houses–and jobs and babies and life. As much as we plan, and wait on God’s
timing, and dream, and try to play our cards right, sometimes God lets life
throw us a curve ball. Then we have to learn all over again the lesson of
trusting His plans and being content with what He chooses to permit for
us.
different. Some married couples meet late in life. Some meet when they are
children. Some have the gift of loving more than one God-given spouse in a
lifetime. It’s the same with houses–and jobs and babies and life. As much as we plan, and wait on God’s
timing, and dream, and try to play our cards right, sometimes God lets life
throw us a curve ball. Then we have to learn all over again the lesson of
trusting His plans and being content with what He chooses to permit for
us.
For all you single
ladies and gentlemen out there–for all of you fielding curve balls in life of any kind–join me in trusting God to bring glory to Himself by making victorious and beautiful the story of our lives.
ladies and gentlemen out there–for all of you fielding curve balls in life of any kind–join me in trusting God to bring glory to Himself by making victorious and beautiful the story of our lives.
“‘For well I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for good and not for woe. Plans to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11
With our third little one on the way, we would like more space than our "starter house" currently has. But with the upcoming loss of income while I transition to be a stay-at-home mom, we are a bit conflicted. We can't afford what we like and don't like what we can afford… especially if it's going to be a long term house for our growing family. Looking at potential real estate has actually made me more content with what we do have. So thank you for the reminder to have patience in God's timing and gratitude for his current provision.
Thank you for this. It is a comfort to know I walk alongside people like you. I can tell you have such a good heart and also good, grounded perspective on your life. The virtue of contentment requires so much meditation (maybe that's just me?). Also, congratulations on your new baby on the way! 🙂
Thank you so much for the prayers. We are in the Lake Charles area.
What a blessing that you can be looking for a home! We live in a little two bedroom rent home with our sixth child on the way. So much I wish we could look for a home to call our own, but for now we wait for my husband to find a good paying job (to be able to someday search) and we wait and trust in the Lord. Praying you find something wonderful for your family!
Kari, thank you so much for sharing a little piece of your story with me. It sounds like you have a LOT of life going on in that little home of yours! I hope so much that you have the ability to go somewhere for some quiet time alone every once in a while. For me, adoration and occasional nights out to write have been so helpful. Living with my parents has been great for giving me the ability to leave the house after the kids are in bed. I'm an introvert and need my alone time and as-frequent-as-possible-which-is-maybe-once every two months adoration.:) We have three bedrooms for our use in my parents' house, which has been so nice, but sometimes living with other people makes everything feel much smaller in certain situations.:) I would really like to pray for you guys as well–we are both walking a journey of waiting and hoping and trusting. I think we would have a really long, beautiful, kindred-spirit conversation if we could get together someday. If you are every in Baton Rouge or New Orleans, please get in touch with me! Where are you guys located if you don't mind me asking? St. Joseph, pray for us!