Learning through a house sale

This week we have been rejoicing.  With an element of caution, as selling a house can be a tricky business, and it's never done for sure until you are actually IN the new house!

For those of you who don't know our circumstances, I will fill you in first.  Robert, my husband, is the Pastor of a Baptist Church.  We are provided with a house, as part of his employment.  It is a 3 bed-roomed chalet bungalow.  Most of the other people living in the same houses around us are retired couples, with a few occupied by SMALL families (read, 2 children....they weren't really designed as a family house!).  The Church realised it wasn't really a suitable house for a manse (even if we had 2 teenage children, one boy, one girl, there would be no spare room), and last year made the decision to sell it, and to buy a larger, more suitable property.  We were very happy and content here, but somewhere larger would definitely be a good thing! So, last October it went on the market.

Selling a house, with 6 children, and homeschooling, is no small thing.  It is simply NOT possible to permanently keep a house "viewing ready".  Every time we had a viewing, it was necessary to do a major blitz of the house.  That has really taught me to get rid of junk, and get rid of clutter.  My lovely husband may suggest that I have not quite "arrived" in that department, but improvement has certainly been made!

I have had to learn patience.  In the current economical climate, houses do not sell very quickly. I learnt to rest in the knowledge that God's timing is perfect and that you cannot rush the ways of God.  We cannot make things happen before God has planned them to.  Whether it be the arrival of an overdue baby, the changing of heart of a person with whom we are at odds with, the finding of a new job, the passing of an illness - all these things will happen when GOD has planned for them.  And, whilst we wait, we learn patience, peace, joy, contentment, endurance, long-suffering, faith.  We learn to trust in God's perfect will for our lives, and know that the moulding of our will, is part of us being moulded more into His image.


"Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. "

James 1:3 

"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: "

1Peter 1:7

All that we experience in life, MUST be to the praise and glory of God.  How we act or react should honour the Lord, and not the flesh. I found myself saying that it was frustrating, thinking about the hard work involved in selling the house.  But, I was convicted about that.  Frustration is NOT being CONTENTED! Being frustrated is the same as not bowing to God's will.  It's an expression of discontent.  So, I humbly repented, and carried on with a more joyful spirit! 

We HAVE now sold the house (pending surveyors visiting, and various other legal aspects).  The Lord's will was very much evidenced in the way it has been bought.  The couple SHOULD have been shown around the house by the estate agent, but they were held up on their journey, and the agent asked Robert to show them around.  It was a real providence, as they got on well together, and Robert felt that it would be them who would buy, even though it was almost 6 more weeks until they had sold their house and able to make an offer on ours!  

Then, the Lord is being evidenced in the house we may end up purchasing.  I think I will reserve that story for  when it happens!  I really believe the Lord is in it.  

We were also told today, that the funds that are being added to the value of our house (which came from the selling of an old building belonging to the Church), are MORE than we first thought, as their value has increased!  It will bring our total to the PERFECT amount being asked by the owner of the potential house to be purchased, and also enough to cover fees!  God is SO good!  

We are so often amazed by God's perfect timing, and perfect provision.  In a way, I feel I shouldn't be surprised at all.  But I NEVER want to take God's wonderful goodness for granted.  I want to always stand amazed at His grace to me, an undeserving sinner.

So, keep your eye out for a post about a new house being found and bought!  We are viewing it tomorrow morning, so please pray for us at 11am!

Today I am linking up with A Holy Experience, where they are sharing about the practice of faith.