For the past week I have given much thought to relating the most recent events. It has taken some time for me to process everything! I am astounded, in awe, amazed... and for the past week I have been speechless!
A little background information may help you grasp the impact of what has recently happened so, let's begin with that information. For the past nine years my Daughter, her husband and their growing family have lived with me in my two-bedroom house. When we first moved in together, they numbered four and it was just me alone - so five people in a two-bedroom house. Their number grew to six while I remained at one until a few months ago when a friend of mine who had lost her job moved in to room with me temporarily. We expanded to a household of eight in a two-bedroom house.
Recently, my Son-in-law was blessed with a very good position making considerably more money. He presented that we should consider renting a larger house. Now the two-bedroom house is in my name and it is nearly paid off. However, aside from the over crowding, it needs considerable, serious attention. Local utility companies began writing letters to me to get the house up to code, the floors were rotten and we were constantly getting splinters in our feet. We had to remove the cabinet doors from the kitchen cupboards because they were more of a decorative size than for dishes or the usual kitchen items. It was cold in the winter and hot in the summer. I could continue with a long list of what was wrong with that house, but it would be faster to say, it had served its purpose and was overdue for retirement. It was the first... only house I have ever owned. The taxes, repairs, more repairs, and more repairs we put into that place really worked our budgets over mercilessly. I decided that for a single woman on my meager income, home ownership was not all that it was cracked up to be. I agreed with my Son-in-law when he proposed looking for a larger house to rent.
We were looking but not avidly. It was more like keeping our ear to the ground, sort of thing. My Daughter and Son-in-Law were on their way to Abilene to do some shopping when they had to stop off at his brother's house in Coleman as a favor for his Mother. Their Sister-in-law mentioned a house around the corner from them that was for rent. She thought it had four bedrooms. My Daughter and Son-in-law decided to check it out and it turned out that it has five bedrooms, three baths, a decent living room, dining, kitchen, breakfast nook and laundry room. It obviously needs a lot of cosmetic repairs but it seems structurally sound. So they returned home and talked to me about it.
It is my nature to resist change. My immediate reaction was, no, I did not want to move to Coleman. My Daughter, knowing a little something about me, presented the proposition by asking me how I would like to quit my job and stay home. That little something that she knows is that I am domestic by nature and much prefer that lifestyle than to work - even the six-hours-a-day that I am working. She caught my attention - not that I would seriously take her up on it, but I was intrigued as to why she thought she could make such an offer. I listened to her enthusiastically tell me about the house. Then her Husband came in and picked up where she left off - again, with much enthusiasm. They both made it clear that they wanted me to move with them - even offering me the master bedroom with private bath. They told me it would be large enough to hold my home office, my full-size bed, the twin bed my friend is sleeping on, my treadmill, my chest, my sewing machine and still have room to spare. We all agreed to drive to Coleman the next day (which was conveniently, a Saturday) to look at the house and make a decision together.
I was amazed at the size of the house - coming from a cramped two-bedroom, it looked huge! We walked through looking and talking about the cosmetic issues. The landlord did not pretend that it would not be an issue that it needs cosmetic repairs and offered to supply the materials and knock off of the rent for the labor if my Son-in-law did the repairs. He also said that there would be a rent-to-buy option in the lease agreement. The house is a little more than a block away from the school - and when I say school, I mean from Kindergarten all the way through High School. They are in separate buildings, but on the same campus.
We decided that Saturday to take the house. The enthusiasm they had for getting moved 35 miles away would almost make your head spin! We had about 80% of everything moved by the following Wednesday when we went to bed that night in our new residence! This Wednesday we will be in there one week. We still have about 10% remaining in my old house to pack and carry. Then we will clean up my old house and property and I will eventually put it on the market - although I don't think it wise to try to sell it as a house for a residence. It would be best marketed as investment property for someone to tear down and rebuild on the nice size lot.
We have heard stories from those we know of how they or someone they knew stumbled upon a sweet deal such as this and have longed for it to be us. You could say that we happened to be in the right place at the right time that this time the sweet deal is ours but how we see it is; God orchestrated for us to be in the right place at the right time and blessed us with this sweet deal!
There's more, but some of this enormous blessing was a monetary gift by an anonymous "Christian Friend" (which is how the card was signed) and to say any more than that would be saying too much other than saying it was an unexpected and very generous blessing! I am amazed! To be so loved, so cherished, so treasured by my Father in heaven! Amazing sweet blessings!
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