When my Mother was young, she became ill with meningitis and could have died. But she didn't. When I was a baby, I got so sick and weak with pneumonia that I didn't start walking until I was about 13 months old. When my uncle Doug was young, he almost died, but was also saved by God answering prayers. The power of prayer should never be underestimated. Especially if the requests are coming from my Memma's church. Those people are anointed.
Last November, Patrick and I were struggling to overcome a very financially difficult time in our lives. A series of events had humbled us to depths we'd never experienced, tested the limits of friendships, strengthened our ties with family, and had us wondering how we could pay the simplest of bills each month. We did our best to carry each other, stayed severely thankful for the generosity of those who loved us, and left the rest to the big man. This had transpired for a year too long; my spirit was on thin ice and Patrick's had broken. I started to wonder each day if things would ever get better.
After being turned down for several jobs, Patrick had his hopes on one more. The next morning, Monday, we got a call saying the job was offered to some one else. We cried together, and then called our parents and cried again with them. It wasn't getting any better.
The same afternoon, he got an interesting email. It was from the company he worked for a couple of years prior, asking him to come back. We had a mortgage. We only bought the house 1 year ago. How would we ever be able to afford to sell it? If we didn't sell it, how could we afford to keep paying our bills? We decided if the company accepted Patrick's salary counter offer, then we had no other choice but to accept, and hope it all worked out for the good. They accepted.
We called our parents back to tell them we had no other choice but to move to Dallas and got mixed feedback. Some for selfish reasons. Some out of worry. But I felt this voice, deep down inside me somewhere, telling me it was the right thing do it.
I had to work that night, so during my down time, I found a couple job's online and applied to them. By Tuesday, we had a realtor at the house discussing how we could put our house on the market before Thansgiving. Wednesday, a hospital called me about my application and gave me an interview the next day. Thursday, we drove to Plano for my interview. I knew I the job in the bag, so we went down the street and got an apartment. Friday we starting packing up the house, so we could it would be staged and ready to show the next week. Saturday, the family came to help us clean and finish packing. I was standing in the bedroom with my Memma when she said something I'll never forget.
Memma: I'm not worried about your house selling. You want to know why?
Me: Tell me.
Memma: Because I've already prayed about it, and I know God has a buyer in mind for you.
Me: Really? Well could you tell Him to have the buyer come by Monday? Because we've got to sell this place ASAP.
Memma: I'll see what I can do, baby, but you shouldn't worry.
I took a deep breath, and continued on, hoping she was right. Knowing I shouldn't worry, but being human, couldn't help myself. That evening, when they were on their way home, they passed a friend of the family on the road. She was looking for a new place to live. Her daughter, who lived with her, was having her first baby in the next month, and they were worried about the safety of the old house they currently lived in. When she found out we were selling ours, she wanted to come look at it. Sunday, she came to look at the house and loved it. She said she wanted to buy it for sure. We trusted her, and told the realtor we wouldn't be needing his services. On Monday I was officially offered the job.
It's hard selling a house without a realtor. There were many bumps in the road, and without my mother and her friends in high places, we'd never have been able to do it. A month later, things were still trying to pan out. Our buyer was on thing edge and almost backed out, but I continued to have faith. "Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark."
My dad called me one day, and we had a very long conversation about his concerns. He worried we made the wrong decision.
Me: I really think this is God's plan.
Daddy: You can't go by that. Just because you pray and listen to God, doesn't mean other people do. Other people do what they want. There are a lot of people that are involved that don't care about what you think God's plan is.
Me: You can't worry about other people. We're not suppose to worry at all. We are suppose to leave it to Him. All I know, is there is this voice inside me, telling me this is suppose to happen and everything will be okay. How do you think all of this could have happened without divine intervention?
Daddy: Well you can't go back now. I hope you're right.
The week we came home for Christmas, we signed the final documents. The house was officially sold! I took another deep breath. This time in relief. We spent Christmas morning at my Nana's house and my Dad slipped me a card. Inside was a little green, and it was signed, "To my hard headed daughter". My Mom still says she didn't know about that.
I called my Memma two weeks ago to thank her for the lovely cookbook she made for my birthday. As we were talking, the subject of my brother came up. He has a job, but has known for the last year that the position would be obsolete this December, and he would lose his job. He's been interviewing for another job for the last year, but hasn't been chosen for any. I can only imagine how frustrating that could be. My Memma said she didn't realize that's what was happening, and put him on the prayer list immediately. He called me this week with news that he got a job . . . . . . .in Dallas.
Glory be to the Father.
My brother asked if he could stay with us and pay half the bills. I told him he was more than welcome to stay. What kind of sister would I be if I didn't? Then I told him, he didn't need to pay half the bills, not because I'm the most amazing sister ever, but because we'd find him a place he could afford before that was necessary!
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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. We all have plenty to be thankful for.
What are you most thankful for?
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