No Need to Pinch

WE ARE COMING TO THE END OF RESIDENCY AND WITH IT COMES, AMONG OTHER THINGS,  ONE GIANT FAT "TO-DO" LIST.  I LOVE TO MAKE LISTS, AS DOES MY HUSBAND.  YOU CAN FIND THEM ON POST-ITS, DRY ERASE BOARDS, REFRIGERATOR PADS, ON THE COUNTER, NEXT TO THE COMPUTER, ON THE FRIDGE, IN WALLETS AND FLOATING IN PURSES ALL AROUND OUR HOUSE.  SOME ARE SCRATCHED OFF, OTHERS ARE CHECKED AND SOME (MY HUSBAND'S AND FAVORITE) HAVE TINY SQUARES (THINK BULLET POINTS) WITH A SLASH MARK THROUGH THEM INDICATING ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PURCHASED, BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN PAID, PROJECTS COMPLETED OR TASKS ACCOMPLISHED. GREAT SATISFACTION CAN BE FOUND IN PUTTING PEN TO PAPER, CREATING A CRISP, BOLD CHECK MARK.

ONE OF THE MORE DAUNTING TASKS ON OUR TO-DO LIST THIS YEAR INVOLVED THE SELLING OF OUR HOME.  IF YOU HAVE EVER PUT A HOME ON THE MARKET YOU KNOW THERE ARE TO-DO LISTS WITHIN TO-DO LISTS, AND THE CONSTANT FEELING THAT YOU ARE ADDING MORE ITEMS THAN DELETING.  AND, IN ADDITION TO TASKS THERE ARE COUNTLESS QUESTIONS, "SELL BY OWNER OR ENLIST THE HELP OF A REALTOR?"  "WHEN SHOULD THE HOUSE GO ON THE MARKET?  "HOW MANY  SHOWINGS WILL WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR?" "WILL IT SELL?"  "WILL THE CLOSING DATE ALLOW US TO STAY IN MADISON TOGETHER AS A FAMILY UNTIL GRADUATION?"  (and so many more...)

OUR HOME WENT ON THE MARKET IN LATE JANUARY AND THREE WEEKS LATER WE HAD AN OFFER, TWO COUNTERS AND AN ACCEPTED OFFER IN HAND.  WE DID NOT PREPARE FOR SUCH A SCENARIO.  OVER THE PAST MONTH MANY HAVE ASKED US THE STATUS OF OUR TOWN HOME, AND IN MY RESPONSE I OFTEN HEAR MYSELF SAYING, "I HAVE TO PINCH MYSELF..."  YES.  RECEIVING AN OFFER SO QUICKLY, IN A MARKET WHERE TOWN HOMES ARE A DIME A DOZEN, WAS UNEXPECTED.  YES.  WE WERE IMPRESSED THAT THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS WENT AS SMOOTH AS IT DID, RESULTING IN A FAIR OFFER.  YES.  IT FEELS UNREAL THAT MONTHS OF PLANNING, AGONIZING, AND PREPARING FOR THE SELLING OF OUR HOME WAS RESOLVED IN A MERE THREE WEEKS.   BUT, SHOULD I BE SURPRISED THAT AN ANSWER (TO PRAYER) CAME SO QUICKLY? 

OH, ME OF LITTLE FAITH. 

I KNOW THIS OFFER WAS A GIFT. SIGNED. SEALED.  DELIVERED.  IT WAS OURS.  IT ARRIVED, IN WHAT INITIALLY WAS PERCEIVED AS LESS THAN IDEAL PACKAGING, BUT AS WE CRACKED OPEN THE BOX WE DISCOVERED A PERFECTLY PERSONALIZED ANSWER FROM THE LORD.  

"SHOULD WE ENLIST THE HELP OF A REALTOR?"  YES, IN FACT I'M PROVIDING YOU WITH A YOUNG REALTOR THAT LIVES IN THE TOWN HOME DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF YOURS.  A REALTOR THAT KNOWS THE INS AND OUTS OF YOUR SPECIFIC TOWN HOME ASSOCIATION, WILL TAKE THE TIME TO TALK TO YOU WHEN YOU BUMP INTO HIM IN THE COVERED PARKING GARAGE, AND WILL ENGAGE YOUR CHILDREN IN CONVERSATION AND WAVE TO THEM FROM HIS CAR AS THEY PEEK AT HIM FROM THE KITCHEN WINDOW.

"WHEN SHOULD THE HOUSE GO ON THE MARKET?"  HOW ABOUT THE WEEK BEFORE YOU HAD PLANS TO LEAVE TOWN FOR A WEDDING, MAKING IT VERY CONVENIENT FOR THE REALTOR TO HOST AN OPEN HOUSE, WITHOUT THE WORRY OF WHAT YOU WOULD DO WITH THE CHILDREN FOR FOUR HOURS ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON DURING NAP TIME.

"HOW MANY SHOWINGS WILL WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR"  THREE.  JUST ENOUGH FOR YOU TO FEEL STRESS, BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO FEEL OVERWHELMED AND LOOSE YOUR MIND WITH TWO LITTLE ONES WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO KEEP UP AN IMMACULATE HOUSE. 

"WILL IT SELL?"  YES.  THE PROCESS WHICH WILL SEEM ALMOST SEAMLESS (IN HINDSIGHT).

"WHEN WILL THE CLOSING DATE BE?"  JUNE 24TH (PER THE BUYER), THE EXACT WEEK JEFF IS DONE WORKING, ALLOWING YOU TO STAY IN MADISON AS A FAMILY FOR THE DURATION OF RESIDENCY. 

HE HAS ANSWERED SO MANY OF OUR PRAYERS CONCERNING THE MOVE, AND HAS  BEGUN TO SHED LIGHT ON SOME OF THE UNKNOWNS ABOUT CLEVELAND.  I HAVE A PEACE ABOUT THIS TRANSITION THAT I KNOW CAN ONLY COME FROM HIM, AS UNDOUBTEDLY THERE WILL BE CHALLENGING TIMES AHEAD.   HE HAS TAKEN CARE OF IT ALL. THERE IS NO NEED TO PINCH, A SIMPLE "THANK YOU" WILL DO.