the one

It is official.  After nearly six months and loads of prayers, we have finally found our house.

  

Let me rephrase that... our home.

Big decisions are not my favorite thing to make.  I worry.  I stew.  I obsess.  More than anything, I long to know what God's will is and really prefer He just leave me a sticky note with His answer of choice.  I'm pretty sure I'd heed it. 

But apparently God is not in the sticky note business.

Nonetheless, as I reflect on the journey we've just completed, God's fingerprints can be found everywhere.  So I'm crazy about the story of finding this home. 

I know in my last post I mentioned the whole planning and God laughing thing, and it's still curious to me how we kill ourselves trying to complete a self-fulfilling prophecy.  So many times we do this only to find door after closed door and wall after great wall keeping us from what we were 100% sure was the plan.  And then... if we're only still for a moment... just a moment... He speaks.  And it's not at all according to the plan.  Hallelujah!

At 2:30 AM the night before we were to make the decision on this home, I was certain my inability to go back to sleep was God's way of calling me to Him.  Satan, once again, had a hold of me with the whole worrying, stewing, and obsessing thing.  But despite his efforts, at about 3:00, I opened up my reading for the day, said a prayer that the words would be relevant, and found this verse waiting on me... 

But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help.  He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. Ps. 18:6  

And verse after verse, everything I turned to following, was an affirmation that I was hearing His voice.  Through my tears I couldn't believe what I was reading, as if God Himself were sitting right next to me and speaking the words to even me.  "I've given you My answer... just believe." 

I won't bore you with the details and ins and outs of our home search, but I'm 100% sure this home was God's plan.  We asked for answers, and He gave them to us... through friends' words, through the sunset on the evening we first visited, through scripture, and in so many other ways I can't name them all.  Sticky note or not, I choose to believe.

Today, we take our youth group to Gatlinburg through the weekend for a conference.  When we return, we will begin unloading boxes and moving into our new home.  I'm pretty sure the boys and I will be racing to get in the door to retrieve our long-lost toys and kitchen items, respectively...  

I'm doubly sure I'll win.  

I can't wait to share with you what will be cooking in the new and improved Lazy Daisy Kitchen, and I'm oh-so-ready to fill it with the people I love.  

Praise God from whom all blessings flow...