Our Almost Big News

Most people who know me have heard my story about our giant pain in the butt house that we’ve been unable to sell for six years. It hasn’t been on the market that whole time, so it’s not that bad. We’ve rented it out off and on. But now…

Turned out that fourth time was the charm for us. The first week we re-listed the house, we got an offer! And it was a great offer! The whole thing was surreal for a few days, but then it finally sunk in- we sold the house!!!!!

We marked the closing date on our calendar and prayed fervently that all would go smoothly up until that point. The inspection came and went, and it was great! There was some minor work to be done, but it was taken care of quickly enough. And then. Then. The appraiser came.

Turns out our house is a trailer. Oh, we got a loan for it as a stick-built house. We were told it was a stick-built house. The appraiser certified it. The county approved it. We paid (and are still paying) lots of money for it. But it’s considered a trailer. We knew that a house had been built around a trailer, but as youngins, we just believed the good folks who assured us that it was no longer considered a trailer for all legal purposes.

Burned.

Honestly, we don’t know at this point what the heck happened all those years ago. It may have been an honest mistake. It may have been a purposeful deception. All we know is that it hurts. It’s frustrating and bewildering and deeply disappointing. Not only is this deal going to fall through, but no one will ever be able to get a loan for this house (trailer).

So I was sitting on the couch feeling sorry for myself this afternoon, and I decided to drown out my thoughts with my facebook news feed. I was numbly scrolling along when I got down to this status: “We need to pray for a miracle- they say there is nothing to do for Coleson. If we get out of the hospital it will be waiting till the Lord takes him. We could hope for a year.”

Coleson is an infant with some major heart and other health problems. I don’t know him, but I came across his story last night and joined the facebook group to pray for him. He had an important surgery today, but it didn’t go well. That status was the result. 

So here’s me, whining about how our house didn’t sell. And here’s this mom, finding out that her son might have up to a year to live.

House. Child. House. Child. House. Child.

I’m feeling pretty blessed right now. I’m feeling tremendously blessed right now.

 

I’m not going to pretend like all my frustrations disappeared. They didn’t. This evening I had a good cry about this whole fiasco. This is a big deal for us. A thirty year debt (nine down, twenty-one to go!) has had and will continue to have a pretty big effect on our family. 

Not to mention the whole expectations being let down thing. Stinking unmet expectations strike again! And they hurt, big or small. And that’s ok. It’s ok to feel let down, as long as you get back up again.

This status about little Coleson put my world back into perspective. My house didn’t sell, but my kids are doing just fine. Toby fell down some steps yesterday and scraped his head. That’s it, our only medical “problem” we’ve had for some time. What an indescribable blessing! 

God has provided a home, food, church, loving family, comfort, vehicles, private education for our kids, and on and on! When I say those things, it’s not because I’m a bubbly person. Definitely not. I’m also not a naturally optimistic person. When I feel down, I have to pray and make a concentrated effort to look on the bright side. 

So there it was, my bright side. And it’s one heck of a bright side. I am so spoiled here in my Lynchburg bubble, and I can handle this one disappointment. There are MUCH bigger things going on in the world than this. It’s all going to be ok. Not because my house will sell, but because God is in control. He has proven time again in my life that He is good, and He can be trusted.

Time to suck it up and get back to life!