Superstition. Impossibility. Perspective. Faith.

I don’t like superstitions. As Jesus-loving as my family and I are, I also grew up not being able to split the pole, put a hat on the bed or a bag on the floor and it was SO annoying. I thought it was just simply annoying, but what I couldn’t articulate then was how I couldn’t reconcile superstitions and faith. Like, either we’re going to believe that God is going to do what He’s going to do, or we can control what He’s going to do by stepping on a crack. 

While I still don’t put a bag on the floor (for sanitary reasons), I must admit I have adopted the superstition of not talking about things until they happen. This is with the subconscious belief that if I talked too soon it wouldn’t happen because something or someone would act against it. It’s one I hold on to a little bit too tightly, so this post is me putting my faith to work.

This October will make two years since Kev, Honor and I moved into my parents’ house (that’ll be its own post once we leave 🤣). Our pretty, convenient, lovely Fleetwood apartment was overrun with creatures of the OH HECK NO kind, and with our building management unwilling to fix the problem at any length possible - we were o u t. We knew our family was going to continue to grow, so our failed search for a reasonably priced 3-bedroom apartment led us to make the bold decision to move here while we saved for a home. At the time, I was at home with Honor for over a year and had just “officially” started my business (read: only Kev’s income qualified for a mortgage). But if there’s one thing we know when God is saying, it’s when He’s saying “MOVE!” 

If you haven’t heard, the housing market (for buyers) is pretty terrible. Particularly, for first-time middle-class buyers like ourselves, it seems impossible to find a house that meets our criteria. The story of the day is that you see a house you like on Zillow, you send it to your realtor, you go see it, by the time you get there it has 15 offers on it and when you go check to see how much it sold for it was $40,000 above asking. I keep telling people off in my head and asking them to PLEASE go look where you can afford and leave the houses I can afford for ME. T H A N K  Y O U! 

So, to say we’ve felt a bit discouraged is a lot of an understatement. But, yesterday, I was in a boot camp session for my business. At the beginning of each session, we go into breakout rooms with one other cohort member and discuss a business or personal win for the week. My partner yesterday briefly introduced herself and said she lives in the Carolinas but wants to get out because everyone is moving there. I affirmed her statement by mentioning that two of my friends recently moved down, love it and I hope people keep moving there so it opens the market here since my husband and I are looking. Her eyes lit up and she said, “That’s a big personal win!”

“What?”

“You’re looking for a house in New York! That’s a huge win!”

“Wow. Wow, you’re right!”

Perspective. Although the housing market doesn’t seem to be in our favor right now, it wasn’t long ago when we couldn’t even qualify for a decent mortgage together. It wasn’t long ago when we were already outgrowing our sweet apartment. It wasn’t long ago when we were rushing to wed, dreaming of the life we’d create - the day we’d need a home for the children we’d made to fill, the days we’d search for one with a pre-qualification in hand. These are the days and what a HUGE personal win. 

So, this post is to stir your hope as this random lady’s words stirred mine. You’re not where you were and you aren’t at the end - there’s more. And where you are, RIGHT NOW, is a big personal win. 

I’ve gone against my rule and I’ve talked prematurely to offer you the reminder to trust in God’s timing and promises. Uncle Bishop Thorpe had no idea and couldn’t have even possibly known that we’d moved in with the ‘rents with the plan to own. Today makes almost exactly a year ago when we were at his church and he asked Kev and I if we were looking for a house. We weren’t at the time, but we were saving. I didn’t have a job at the time, but the offer came DAYS later. He told us that we would find a home out of impossibility and little did we know that the word for this market would indeed be impossible. He said, “It’s a done deal,” and I believe it. Because God IS going to do what He said. 

Something great is going to happen and until it does I’ll be encouraged by the fact that I’m already in a personal win season. I bet if you changed your perspective about something you’ve been anticipating, you’d believe the truth that you are too.