Open Ending

I guess it wasn't very nice to ask you to play a guessing game with me and then leave you hanging for 3 weeks (or however long it's been), was it?

If you guessed that our house was for sale, you were right!

I had waited to blog about it until I was pretty sure things were well on the way. It's funny how you can be so sure of something one day, and have it all change the next.
We had put a contract on a house we came across online and had fallen in love with. It was contingent on the selling of our house, with a closing date of November 10th. We were getting more web hits and having more showings than any other house in our price range by far. Our projected turnaround time was 7-11 days...
Two days before we were due to go on vacation, our realtor called to say the other house had another contract offer, which gave us 72 hrs to come up with a solution. The only solution for us was to sell our current house(vs likely getting stuck with 2 mortgage payments). It didn't happen.
It was hard to lose that house. Really hard. I let myself believe it was ours. I saw the Christmas tree in the bay window and heard my children's tiny feet pitter pattering up and down the stairs. I imagined long, hot baths in the claw foot tub and hours of sewing in the "closet" in the master bedroom that was as big as another bedroom. I looked forward to evenings watching my children play outside while relaxing with my husband on the wrap around porch.
It was hard to let that all go, but I knew I had to.
I had been really frustrated because I had prayed that it wouldn't get this far if it wasn't meant to be. I kept praying, and He was silent. I felt so disappointed and let down, but at the same time I knew that He has never let me down before. It was very confusing...but something wonderful happened.
He spoke to me through my husband. Jason was able to lead me through this and to help me let go. I've always been a skeptic, always as self-reliant as possible. I've grown in leaps in bounds since being married. I'm no longer Miss Independent but still like to know what's going on. In this situation I had no clue and had to rely on my husband to fully and lovingly lead me through.

It has transformed things between us. It turned an already wonderful marriage into something even greater.

He leads with a confidence I've never seen. I follow in a way I've never known. I have a new respect for him, and he for me.

We still don't know what we're going to do. Our house remains unsold, and my heart has yet to be won by another house. We're seeking wisdom as to whether or not to keep our house on the market or pull it off. Our main hesitation at this point is taking it off only to find that the other financing fell through which would put us back in first place for the other house. Thankfully, He always gives wisdom--but prayers from you wouldn't hurt, either. ;)

"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes,well you just might find, you get what you need..."

Or even better than the Rolling Stones, is a place of contentment I've come to--

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." --Philippians 4:12

Even if we never have a beautiful old Victorian home, we have what we need right here. And if "all" that comes from this was a transforming facet in my marriage, then I say it is well worth it.