I have been putting off writing this post for a long time. This is another one of those blog posts that makes me cringe. The thought of writing it makes me shudder. I’d much rather write something funny, or inspiring, or toss up a couple photos from the weekend to show how fun and interesting our lives are, or, better yet photos of our gorgeous children to show what lucky parents we are.
So…here’s the thing. We have a couple serious prayer requests, and these are seriously serious:
1. Rick needs a new job.
2. We need to sell our house.
We actually have a deadline of August 17th. If we haven’t sold our house by then, it is very likely that we will become one of those ambiguous families out there that we have all been reading about who have been grossly effected by our economy and are losing their homes.
I was talking with my Dad the other day and I was saying that we have reached the point that we need to start asking people to pray for us. As a christian, I was a bit convicted when I said this. Shouldn’t this be the FIRST thing we do, instead of the last resort?? I’m seriously humbled that we’ve gotten away from our interdependence on the Lord and on each other. The thing is, and this is what I said to Dad, asking for prayer for something like this, something big, like a buyer for our house, (as opposed to healing for my allergies, or my dog’s indigestion) feels so much like asking for help, and that’s just so…humbling.
HOUSE FOR SALE
I’m not asking for a job for Rick from anyone reading this, and I’m not asking for money or anyone reading this to buy our house. And, I’m not asking for pity, or sympathy.
I AM asking that if you read this and you believe in prayer, would you please pray that God would provide these 2 things for us?
A job and a buyer.
If you belong to a church or a small group, please ask your friends to pray for us as well.
I was picturing us at the other end of this trial the other night, and I remembered the final scene of It’s a Wonderful Life when George Bailey has been given the gift of seeing what his life would have been like if he hadn’t been born. We always remember that last scene when all his friends, family, and community file through his living room donating all the cash they can scrounge up, “I’ve been saving this up for a divorce, if’n I ever get me a husband!” (who can forget that line?) But the thing is, George had his God encounter long before all those people started showing up with cash! He had already been revived and given the gift of knowing what’s important.
I feel a little like that too.
I love my house. Anyone who reads my blog knows that. I started this blog to document our building this house. But the truth is, it’s just a house. It’s just sticks and brick and mortar. And, yes it represents something to Rick and I, something we built together after going through some tough times, but in the end…it’s still just stuff, and what really matters is what’s inside. The man and woman who live here and the people around us we call family and friends. So, yes, there is a little sadness in looking toward moving. But when we do move, I still get the man. And the family. And the friends.
So, for now, please pray for someone to come along who loves this house as much as we do and who wants to buy it.
And please pray for Rick as he continues to search for a job, and for God to continue to show Himself to us, whether through beach balls hitting us in the heads, or through His perfect timing, providing for us in ways we would never have thought of on our own.
And this weekend I’ll look forward to posting photos from the very fun and interesting weekend we have and of our beautiful kids and future grandchild, and even our noisy and rambunctious dogs!