REVved - WE'RE MOVING
Last month, Mrs. REV and I decided to see if God wanted us to move from the house we've lived in for the past 13 years. From time to time, we've discussed living in another neighborhood, but usually we've defaulted back to the ease of staying right where we are. Who feels like packing? (It's only the two of us, but it's amazing what two people can accumulate over 13 years.) And we live so close to the church! (5 minutes.)
Back to September. We listed our house..."just to see," and we had an offer within 10 days. After a little bit of a scare from a "home inspector," the buyers decided not to move ahead. We contacted some experts to verify that our house was in good condition - contrary to what the inspector had suggested, and the deal was back on.
We closed yesterday and will be out by Monday night! What an adventure. It appears that God wanted us to move. (Ya think?) After hearing stories of so many people who have had their homes on the market for months and months, and even years, this is a real answer to prayer for us. We'll be moving to a neighborhood in Golden. The house there won't be available to us until late December, so we're planning to reside in a long-term stay hotel for a while, after previously-planned trips to a Ravi Zacharias conference in Washington, D.C., and a trip to Florida to see Jan's parents.
Of course, we'd appreciate your prayers as we head out on this adventure of "temporary" homelessness. I have 10 musings on moving I thought I'd pass your way.
1. You can't move without corrugated cardboard and tape.
2. Books are nice to own, but packing them removes a little of the luster of owning so many.
3. "Stuff" accumulates rapidly - and you need a move every so often to get rid of some of it.
4. Purchasing the house we just sold was the best financial investment we've ever made.
5. Since I spent much of my childhood living in church-owned parsonages, lived in one myself during my first pastorate, and didn't own my own home until I was 36, the house we just sold is only the second home I've ever owned...the point --> selling a house is an emotionally wild experience under any circumstances, but particularly, when you've only done it once before!
6. An experienced and competent Realtor is a gift.
7. "Storage facilities" have proliferated in the past 10 years and you can find them everywhere - finding the "right one" can be an interesting challenge.
8. A 55 year-old male packing and lifting boxes = sore back and aching muscles.
9. Houses are inanimate objects, but do they ever trigger a flood of memories when it's time to move from them.
10. God can move people within a matter of days - exactly what He's done with us!
One more thing...blogging may be a bit sporadic in the next few weeks given our new living arrangements.
