Yet even this is not truly my home
lauren on Oct 01 2008 at 11:01 am | Filed under: a thing called life
We’ve moved into our own home.
After hoping, praying, and waiting for eleven years, we own a home again.
Those are sweet words to say and for those who’ve known us through the waiting process, I hope they are sweet words to hear too.
Eleven years ago this past summer we lost a beautiful home in Temecula, California. The housing market had slumped and we weren’t the only people experiencing the pain of foreclosure. After the close of my business and the rise of our variable interest rate, we found it impossible to keep up with the payments. The day Julian and I faced this fact, it was like a weight was lifted from our shoulders. Still, hindsight is 20/20, as they say, and I would never advise anyone to walk away from their home. If I had to do it all over again, I’d have fought much harder to keep it.
I never, for even a moment, thought that it would take 6 moves, 5 rentals home which came with 5 very different landlords, and eleven years of patience before God would give us more than we could have imagined. In fact, I had a friend in Wisconsin, smarter than I wanted to admit at the time, that told me it could take ten years before we owned our own home again. I’m pretty sure I was secretly mad at her for a week. How dare she not have greater faith than that?!
Yet even after I’ve said all that I can’t help but ponder the journey. The eleven year journey in which God strengthened my marriage, our family and my faith. The journey that taught me so much about God’s faithfulness and my bend toward selfish, sinful manipulation of a God who, thankfully, will not be moved by such methods.
I think about all of the people He brought into my life because of our “gypsish” tendencies.
I am incredibly thankful for the journey. Incredibly.
On the day we were packing the moving truck with all of our worldly possessions or at least those that would fit, I told anyone who had ears to hear that this move was the beginning of a financial miracle.
$50,000 in debt with the IRS and another nearly $100,000 of debt from credit cards, child support and unsecured loans, a miracle was definitely needed. But the miracle that God gave us was so much more than financial. He brought me home from the work force and provided solely through Julian for the first time in our lives. He gave us the courage to teach our children at home until high school age which has given each of them such a solid foundation with which to face the world that hates the God we so love.
No, I wouldn’t advise anyone to walk away from their home. It’s a harder road than it seems. For us though, God used for good what at times felt like it might kill me.
And if this new home is any indicaton of what He has prepared for us in heaven, people… heaven is so gonna rock!
I love you!
What a wonderful perspective! It warmed my heart to read it!
May God grant you peace and joy and a continued awareness of your dependence upon Him in your new home! Congratulations!
Wonderful news! Congratulations, and the Lord bless you…
It is so wonderful to hear these words from you! What an incredible journey and a beautiful story. I’m glad you’re so transparent with us.
So when can we see pictures of this wonderful new home?
Praise God, Lauren… Praise God. He is so good, so faithful, and he loves us so much. This proves that his mercies are new every morning!
I can’t wait to see pictures of Gods blessing!
You have no idea how much I truly needed to read this tonight. No idea at all.
Thank you for you honesty. It’s more than I have at the moment.
May your new home be blessed and see you through many, many years of joy and happiness!
Lauren,
Read several posts. Love your open heart. I lived in Indio many years ago. I hope you love your new life in Texas. You have weathered the storms in growing grace.
I’m also on a fitness path. I wish you all the will power in the world. After a horrible weekend on my part I know how hard that can be.
I enjoy your fresh voice. I will visit often.
Congratulations. Lauren. This gives me hope. It truly does.
I was shocked to find this new site. I’ve been watching my feed to Molly Coddled for months and checked in on Blogged In a few days ago, so I thought you were still out. I had no idea you’d been back since August.
I grew up in Texas. So I can totally understand why you love it. You’re going to be very, very happy there.
congrats! I would love to see pictures of your new home. we’re facing foreclosure on one of our homes……it’s a huge mess. God is amazing and through all this, i’m learning and hopefully becoming more wiser through this process.
blessings,
missy
Hi Lauren! I just wanted to stop in and say hi! Congratulations! I’m so happy for you
I was just reading over some of my old blog posts and comments and it made me miss all you wonderful ladies who walked with me so long ago. I’ve been thinking of taking up blogging again so keep an eye out for me!
Lauren, I’m so happy that you are finding some much needed peace. The coming year should be filled with more joy for you and your family.