Thanks to God for a new house for our family. Soli Deo Gloria!

“But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works” (Psalm 73:28).

Speaking God’s Works is a prominent theme in the Songs of Israel.  I’d like to ask you to glorify our God for doing wonderful works in a tangible way by providing a house for our family. 

Front Porch

Thankful for believing, praying, women in my life.

I’ll be honest, I have not been praying very believingly about a new house until recently.  But my mom has been praying for years, and my wife has been praying for years, and my daughters have been praying for at least a year that the Lord would provide a house for our family.

When my mom recounted to me the different amenities she was praying for, I tried to stop her.  “Mom, we are in NYC.  We don’t need to think about purchasing a home.  And especially one like you are asking for.  That is for people who live in suburbia.  God has called us to pastor here and it is too expensive to even think about that.”  But she kept praying, and when we started looking for a house seriously, if it did not have a driveway, a yard, or a washer/drier, she would know it was not what she had been praying for.

Sarah too, had been praying faithfully.  I remember telling her that we shouldn’t presume.  “It’s not possible here.  Let’s be content with the two bedroom apt, and perhaps we can move into a larger apt as time passes.”  What sweet prayers my daughters have been praying too during our family devotions. 

I’m so thankful for the praying women in my life who continued to ask seek and knock when I couldn’t think about going up the walkway to approach that door.  The Lord heard these prayers and chose to answer in a remarkable way. 

A back yard = )

Thankful for God saying no.

When the Lord started putting together the details to be able to shop for a home, we found one that our family fell in love with right away.  It was in a little rougher neighborhood than we would like, and that concerned us some, but we knew the Lord would protect and provide.  So, we put an offer in.  The offer was accepted.  We were so excited!

We waited for the contracts to be sent out.  We waited and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited.  Nothing happened.  The owners dragged their feet along for weeks and months.  Until one cold day this winter a friend from the community decided that they would like to use the copper piping from the vacant house.  They stole all of it and we were back to the drawing board. 

This was quite a let-down.  Our hearts were set on that beautiful big house that needed so much work but had so much character.  It is helpful to remember that God’s plans are better than our own.

Within two hours of getting keys.

Thankful for God’s provision in a way that shows His glory.

God does not have to demonstrate His working on our behalf.  We have so much from the daily spiritual and physical blessings that He pours from the “windows of heaven,” that I’m embarrassed to ask for anything else.  But when He does provide, it is even better when He puts His fingerprint on it in such a way that we can’t doubt that it is His work.  He did this for us.

The author of the biblical book of Ruth mentions the Lord providing her with a husband, land, and inheritance, by meeting Boaz.  I love how he writes that she found Boaz’s field.

“So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech” (Ruth 2:3).

Literally, ‘she happened to happen’ upon the field.  The author is pointing out how our happenstances are in God’s control. 

A few months ago, Sarah happened to walk back from parking a few blocks away from our current apartment due to street cleaning regulations.  She was carrying a sleeping Asher and walked past a home that was being cleaned out.  She mustered up courage to ask a worker if he was moving and if they were selling – can’t hurt.  He told her that the owner was inside and brought him out.  Sarah asked if they were selling and he said yes.  We knew that we could not afford houses in our neighborhood.  The numbers just don’t add up.  But she threw out a number and he said we were fairly close if they did not fix anything up.  So the talks began.  No realtor fees, no new construction headaches were enough to tempt them to talk with us.  The owner saw our children/family which helped to make her want to sell the home to a family with young children instead of a developer.  God causes these kind of things to happen in His good Providence - things out of our control.

Several other things beyond the scope of this short testimony demonstrate God’s provision in such a way that we are thankful for His works.  His provision of an empty house way under-priced in a neighborhood near our church, His provision of the down payment, His provision of a bank/mortgage at a decent rate, His provision of peace and calm while waiting and going through all the hoops needed, His provision of a proactive lawyer who stepped in as the bank was stepping out.  All these things are demonstrating God’s works on our behalf with this green house. 

It is a fixer upper, so we look forward to watching God continue to work.  But are so thankful for watching His strong hand in providing a house for our home.  Thank you Lord for all Your works!