The Move: A Few More Pieces

It's fun to now be able to take you guys on this journey with me!  Moving has so many details that need to align just right in order for it to work out! This week God has shown again that He will meet our every need and faithfully provide the next step when it's time to take it.

The offer on our house in Ft. Worth was accepted and all parties have signed.  We had received a contingency offer on our house in Midland.  Midland has a crazy housing market right now...like houses sell in days, not weeks, and often for more than they were asking.  We have a severe housing shortage.  So many times, contingency offers are not accepted.  We have always had to make contingency offers, but in a market like this, people usually want offers that are ready to move on it.  So when we got the contingency offer, we were not sure what to do.  We didn't mind taking it at all...the price offered was great, but the timing of having a contingency would mean we wouldn't be there in time for school to start for the kids.  We had already asked if we can rent the house for whatever time needed to be there from the time school starts until we close...still waiting to get our "Yes!" on that one. So there was already sort of a plan in place for a little later closing.  Our Realtor was not crazy about a contingency because she knows the market and felt we could get a non-contingent offer.  John and I both went to prayer.  The thing about walking through this move is that we have not made any decision until God spoke! We had clear direction before we did anything on this journey.  So when it came to accepting or declining the offer, we really couldn't settle for gut feelings, the advice of others, or what the market says, we wanted to hear God's voice!  Two days we prayed, listened, asked....I even sat for an extended time one of those mornings just sitting....waiting....listening so God could answer. Nothing.  But not only was there not an answer, there was no anxiety!  Can I get a hallelujah a "I might have actually matured a little in the "trust Me" category" - hallelujah?! On the morning of the day our Realtor had told the family with the offer on our house we would give them an answer, God answered.  Right on time.  Never early, never late, right on His time! During my quiet time when I was simply praying..not necessarily about the house, just having my morning coffee with God, I heard, "move forward".  One of the frustrations with having to show the house has been not being able to pack because there is nowhere to put boxes if we are going to keep things neat and tidy!  Accepting the offer means our house will show very little if at all, and we can start packing boxes!  It means the buyers will move forward as if their house will sell getting things done such as appraisals, inspections, etc that can hold up a closing.  It would all be moving forward if we accepted the contingency.  I didn't share any of this with John.  We had zero showings that day.  You know, you kind of have to show the house to sell the house!  On his way home from work right before we were to meet our Realtor to discuss options, John was feeling a bit anxious about not having any showings.  Then God stepped in and showed Him the answer too!  "Why do you need showings? Your house is sold."  Once again God was so faithful to tell us both separately what the next step is! But He wasn't just telling us...we sat down to meet with our Realtor.  She had told us the day before that taking the contingency in this market really was not advisable.  But one of the things we love about our Realtor - who is also a dear friend - is that she is a Godly woman!  We sat down to talk and she shares that in her time that morning, she had thought, "Taking this offer makes no sense, but this is the Petrees and nothing they do makes sense!"  Ha! I love it!  And it's so true! She went on to say that she felt maybe this family was supposed to get our house...we have been praying that our house would be a blessing to whomever was to buy it.  So she just confirmed what God had already spoken to both John and I, so we accepted the offer!  Now we are waiting to hear of the sell of their house!  That did bring a bit of anxiety to me when I thought of that right after God said to accept the offer.  God responded to that anxiety with a statement something like this, "Have you really not learned that I can take care of things like that by now?!"  To which I responded, "Yes, Sir!"

But the pieces don't stop there!  I may just have to stand on my rooftop literally and shout how faithful and good my God is before this is all done!  The Word God gave me back in April 2012 about the new job said that it would allow John to be the husband and father he needed to be instead of making him choose and competing for those roles.  When they offered John the job, one of the things that we loved immediately were the hours.  He will get home an hour earlier than he does now!  Scheduling the drop off and pick up of kids from school while working around babies I don't want to wake and naps, etc has been one of my biggest struggles!  The time right after school when everyone is home, needing help with homework and I am trying to get dinner on the table is extremely stressful!  Well, no more!  We got on-line to look at the kids' schools!  Their schedules fit perfectly with John's! The elementary starts at 7:45 and releases at 2:45.  So I can drop them off while leaving the babies asleep because the big kids will still be home...they don't start school until 9:20! By then babies will be awake, and it will be no big deal to get them in the car to take the big kids!  I will pick up the elementary kids and have their home work done before the big kids come home!  And John will get off just in time to get to the middle school to pick up the big kids, so I only have to get out once in the afternoon!  Anyone who says God isn't into the details hasn't lived a life with 8 kids! He cares about it all!

There are still some things to be worked out, like renting the house to be there when school starts, all the inspections, etc that have to be done on both houses, the sell of our buyer's house, etc, etc.  But God has it! I'm not anxious....just waiting with great anticipation to see how He answers each one of these!  Because He will!