I'm Gonna Move...

I'll tell you what's hard about selling a home.  And it's not because I have any expertise in the area of real estate.  In fact, I've never sold a house.  Of course, my parents sold three of our houses when I was a kid, and at that age, all I was really concerned about was whether my room was going to be bigger and if the new house would have a swimming pool.  Ironically, I've never once had a swimming pool, and the rooms I had never seemed big enough.  Something about the newness always excited me as a child, so it never bothered me when we'd sell one home to move into another.  How is it that I now know what's hard about selling one?

For a month, the Lord has made it very evident.  From the long drive to our new church home to the occupied walls we have worked diligently to repaint and depersonalize, it didn't take long for us to realize it was time to move on.  Time to take the leap of faith that is Nashville.  Time to move in the direction of where He has planted us.  Time to see that He's got something else in store.

When we figured out that moving was what God wanted us to do, everything fell into place.  We just so happened to get a Tennessee Football refrigerator magnet in the mail that week with a real estate agent's picture on it.  We just so happened to come upon a bundle of brand new boxes from dad's work.  We just so happened to be incredibly tired of all of the clutter that two and a half years of marriage (and 26 & 29 years of life) will bring upon you.  We were ready, and within a week, we had our house on the market.

That was Monday, and all of that was ridiculously easy.  Not near as emotional as I would have expected.  Not near as much trouble getting the house ready as I would have thought.  Not near as difficult seeing that "For Sale" sign in the front yard.  Why?  Well, that's where the hard part of selling a house comes in.

I am ready.  I am completely ready.  And yet, not a single change because we're still here.  It seems as if that's how it always goes in life.  We get in our minds the plans God has for us, and then when He doesn't make them happen right away, we get discouraged.  Somehow, somewhere in the midst of knowing that God is in control, the devil finds his way into our determined minds and really messes things up. 

Now, from what I've been told, it can take two weeks before showings begin, and it can often take six months to receive an offer.  What I've also been told is that God works miracles, and folks, we are going to need one.  I mean, we all know where the economy is sitting, and just today, another house on our same street went on the market.  When I say "another," I mean the fourth. 

What's hard about selling a house (or moving on) (or simply having faith) is this:  we are not in control.  Sure, we are going to sell our house.  The Lord has already made it clear that He wanted us to.  However, He didn't say when or how or in what time frame.  He didn't tell us that it'd be easy or that we'd have "lookers" within the first week, like I had envisioned He would have happen.  I just know that He's in complete control of what's happening.  And whether it's next week, next month, or next year, God can do with this house whatever He wants.  Doesn't matter what the economy looks like or if every house on this street is for sale.  God will move when HE is ready, and that's what makes everything, not just selling a house, hard on us.  It's a matter of faith, friends.  Are we ready to move when HE is?!