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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

I'm not very good ....

I'm not very good at this home buying stuff. No, really. I'm not.

This afternoon Debbie and I went to see a real estate agent after she got off of work. We had an appointment to view a home that is up for "short sale." That means something like ... the owner is about to get foreclosed on and so they have set a (supposedly) ridiculously low sale price in order to unload it before it's too late. Of course the bank has to agree to the ridiculously low price. So the number really doesn't mean anything. It was just pulled out of a hat in hopes of luring a perspective buyer. I can't blame them. I would do the same thing.

But here's the deal. The house was nice. It was pretty big. It was only about 3 years old. Honestly it is way more house than we need. The only time we would even conceivably use all of the space is if all of our kids showed up at once and wanted to stay with us. Seeing as how that has never happened in the course of human history, it isn't all that likely to happen in the future.

But it might.

Still. That's not my point. The family that owned the house left before we got there and they were obviously in the middle of packing things up. Boxes were strewn everywhere. Furniture sat at odd angles. The kids bedrooms were about the only places that were not all torn up. Yet. That's coming too.

So I'm suppose to be looking at this house and thinking about what a great deal it just might be. That's the way it works. Somebody else's pain is my gain. Instead I'm walking through the house and I'm thinking ... "These poor people. A family is having their guts torn out here. They are losing their home. This isn't right. This place was there dream home just slightly over a year ago. And now they are trying desperately to get out from under it before it drags their credit rating even deeper into the muck and more."

I want to help those people. I can't. I mean, maybe it would help them if I bought their home. But I really deeply believe in waiting for God to "bump me" and tell me when to do what. And He hasn't "bumped me" yet. Maybe He will tomorrow. But not yet. And so I'm suppose to be sleeping and dreaming of a nice beautiful home in the suburbs again. I mean, our apartment is nice ... but it's still an apartment. And God has blessed us with the ability to buy a home. Hey, it's a buyers market. It's the mother-of-all buyers markets. Still, I'm waiting for God. And instead of dreaming ... I'm wondering what it's like to sleep in that house right now. Tonight. It must be so sad. It must really, really hurt.

I told you. I'm not very good at this home buying stuff.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are not alone. I couldn't walk through that house without thinking of the poor children and how their lives must be in extreme upheaval. I think if you think of others before yourself then your life is most truly blessed.

Anonymous said...

I understand where you're coming from. Before we were married my husband bought our home from an elderly lady who was having to move into a nursing home because she could no longer care for herself. I felt like we were taking this woman's whole life from her - she raised her kids here. My only hope is that we can make the same kind of memories here that she did.

Kelly said...

That is a tough one. I feel for you...and them...

Anonymous said...

It is exactly that kind of tenderness and sensitivity of spirit that makes God happy, and that is why it will delight Him to give you a home (whatever house it is) that is perfect for your family (kids all visiting at the same time or not). All in His perfect plan, all in His perfect timing. I need to remember this for myself. Thanks for reminding me.

Love,
Denise

p.s. Good message on Sunday. I didn't get a chance to speak to you after it was over.