4 Days (Updated Fri, 3/27)

This past Thursday, March 19th, our home officially went up for sale. We had our first viewing on Saturday evening, and by Sunday we had received a respectful but low offer for our home. Monday we countered and the buyers accepted our counter-offer. 4 days, 1 showing, an offer agreement and a fair price for both us and the buyer...here in Michigan...

People often talk about "the favor of God". However, in our prosperity focused and suffering averse American Christian society, the idea of God's favor almost always has to do with comfort, ease, success, money, etc. This bothers me. It bothers me because did not Jesus have God's favor EVERY step of EVERY day of His life? Yet, was not Jesus misunderstood, ridiculed, blasphemed, persecuted, beaten, betrayed and ultimately tortured to death? Jesus, the only and most favored Son of the Most High God.

I am very careful to presume to know what the favor of God actually is and who is the recipient of it. Moreover, Julie and I want to walk the path of our Savior, which is a narrow and difficult path, and as trials and challenges come we want to be able to honestly and authentically glorify God and face the struggles with the winsomeness and grace God provides.

Then you have these past 4 days...and the wind of the Spirit has been completely at our backs. To sell your home at a good price, in this housing market, here in Michigan, with a counter offer, in just 4 days is...God's favor? I don't know...

What I do know is that Julie and I have graciously accepted the contrarian's way these past two years. I have worked in a warehouse much of that time, talked of a crazy move to Indiana that never happened, sacrificed a ton materially and financially toward our "long term savings goals", struggled trying to find my path back into "vocational ministry", ultimately led by God to give up my need and pursuit of said ministry job, and yet we have walked in some of the most spiritually fertile ground we have ever known. Moreover, our joy for life, for Jesus, for our family, has only grown stronger in that time.

Oh, one more thing...the baby coming in a month had been breech for some time. Well, at Julie's doctor appointment this (Monday) morning, the baby's head had turned south and all systems are go.

I sit here Monday evening in a fog of sorts, with St. Louis and Rooftop that much closer in just a couple of days. Today as these events were unfolding, four different people: an owner of our company, a coworker, the UPS guy Linc, and my friend in Detroit all made reference to God wanting us to go with His blessing and making the way clear for us. When four (and probably more) different people all testify to the power and activity of God in this world and (by His grace) in my life, I say thank you for allowing me to be a part of what You (God) are doing.

It will not continue like this. The Scriptures say that ALL who will truly follow after Jesus will suffer as He did and we continue to pray that we too could know "the fellowship of His sufferings" (Phil3:10). In the meantime, we adjust our sails, accept the Spirit's wind, and go where He takes us...

(Update 3/27)
...I talked with Eric our Realtor yesterday and asked him if there had been any other inquiries on our home since it went on the market a week ago. We have not yet put the "sold" sign out...NOT ONE ADDITIONAL CALL. One call, one showing, one offer, one pending sale...one God.