Changing the Game Plan

When we moved to our pretty condo at Eagles Nest in 2000, we thought it was our last move, that we would be looking over the dairy farms in the valley and would be enjoying the skyview  for the rest of our days.  We thanked God for the view, our neighbors, and we opened our door to share it all. 

Looking back, I think we had too much of a good thing, because we became pretty confortable, too comfortable, somuchso that we almost came to a dead(no pun intended) stop with ourselves.  With most of the household chores being done for us, a couple years ago, we began the conversations about maybe we made the move 10 years too soon or so.  We missed the yard work, the puttering, the chores of running a house with a yard, etc.  We weren't quite ready to just sit down.

Back and forth, do we make a change or not, even putting the condo on the market, then off, then on until we finally decided to stop it all, stay put and close our doors to the "public."  It makes me laugh now, to see how God had His hand in our game plan  all along.

Anyway, out of the blue one day Lydia called, said someone wanted to look at the condo that evening if possible.  Well, there it is.  History was made.  When I told a new friend about our quick changeover, she offered her daughter's house that was for sale, but could be rented, etc., so we landed at Alley House last fall.  Again, things moved in such a way that only God can do; because we could never have made the puzzle pieces fit together as quickly on our own.

Turning over the pieces, like adding to the puzzle, step by step we worked through what needed to be done until we now have a house that is two-thirds ready.  Our game plan has completely changed  from last Christmas to this one.

So often I try to give God my agenda.  I tell him what to do, how to do it, and when it should be done.  Thankfully, God rarely does things the way we expect them to be done.  In Isaiah 55:8-9, God says, "My thoughts are completely different from yours.  And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

God doesn't think like we think.  And yet, He knows us better than we know ourselves, he calls us by name.  He even knows the number of the hairs on our head.  He knows what is best for each one of us.

Even though this has been exhausting, and we've had some sleepless nights wondering if we've covered the details, it's also highly energizing and fun to be planning ahead at this stage of our lives to yes, yardwork again, and household chores.  This is another lesson of 'be careful what you wish for' because we had a lovely, lovely condo that was home to us for ten years.  Lots of good times to remember there, but it was time to share the beauty, as Bill once said.  I like to think of it that way, too.  It  reminds me that nothing is permanent in this world we're passing through, except God's love. 

Thinking about Advent, I also see God's promise in the anticipation of Christ's return.  Advent gives daily opportunities to rethink in which kingdom we want to live, and what is keeping us from undivided allegiance to Jesus.  Our hope is in Him.  Happy Thanksgiving.                Here are the pictures I talked about:

This is on a Tuesday morning late Oct.















This is the Friday of that same week!  We now have internal walls, electric, plumbing, poured basement & garage, a roof, & doors and windows are coming.