It's late & I'm tired ... but I wanted to stop and take time to thank God for His favor & blessings today.
Background:
Most of you are aware that a friend of mine from work had a stroke last May. He and his wife lived in a rural home that had originally been a small, rural school. Not quite "one room" but not very large. For those not familar with the way they were built, when you go in the front door, you go up probably 8-10 steps to get to the main level; then very steep stairs to get to the "upper room" (which was the larger of the two bedrooms) and even steeper stairs to get to the basement. That, the 3-acre yard, the detached garage that was behind the house such that you had to walk all the way around and through a large side yard to get to it, and Kansas winters made this home a bit of a challenge for Dean & Julie in his current condition. They put it on the market last summer - but you understand the housing market situation.
Their Blessing - Part 1:
Someone bought their house! They signed a contract (I believe) in early December. They agreed on a closing date of today (Jan. 28).
Their Blessing - Part 2:
Now, they needed somewhere to move - that they could afford with them now living on Dean's long-term disability checks & Julie not able to go to work because of his need for someone to be with him (and take him to therapy, etc.).
December came and went with nothing proving workable. In early January, the realtor called and told them she had the place for them. She was right! It is a lovely place, with a view of a small lake / pond. They LOVE nature & the outdoors. They can see the pond from their deck or from the viewout windows in the basement. It was a repossession that was fairly new, but the owner had repainted and had put in all new carpet and tile - and was still selling it for thousands under the appraisal. It was in their price range!
They closed on both houses today.
Our Blessing:
The group of us that had committed to moving them this evening after work were not real excited about the weather this week. For those not here, we had freezing rain, sleet & snow Monday & Tuesday and temperatures in the teens with windchills as low as 3 below. This morning when I left for work it was 13 with a windchill of 6. That was not exactly what we needed to do an "after work hours" move! At least there was only a thin coat of ice & snow - not inches or feet.
By noon, the sun was out for the first time in days & the temperature was in the upper 20s. Yea! But, the move was hours away - and in Kansas one never knows which ways things will go.
When I left work and headed down, it was up to freezing! (I know you Floridans do not understand, but that really was good news!) And the best part - there was NO WIND. (That's a very rare state here!) The sun had melted almost all of the ice & snow - and the ground was wet, but not soggy. Instead of the heavy coats, hats & scarves we had all been prepared with, we were in unbuttoned jackets. In fact, my "wrap" was a quilted, flannel shirt.
I praise God that in spite of their current financial challenges, Dean & Julie were able to move to a much nicer home and one that accomodates their current situation. And I thank Him for the "break" in the weather for all of us who were committed to getting them moved tonight. That was no small issue to us!
“Listen to Me,” says the Lord
1 year ago