All in God’s Timing

We hear it said all the time - God’s timing is perfect.  I’ve even been known to say it myself on many occasions.  Yet, I still find myself constantly in awe of how true that statement is when I see it firsthand.  My family and I have recently had just such an experience.  Let me share that story of God’s perfect timing with you now.

Before I go on, I need to share a little background information.  In 2016, I had two back surgeries three weeks apart.  It was after these surgeries that my walking really became difficult.  I couldn’t walk without a walker, and even then it was extremely difficult.  During this time, we sold our home in Alberta, Canada, and were trying to figure out our next step in life.  After several months of staying with different family members in different parts of North America, we ended up renting a house in our former town in New Brunswick. My husband got a new job, and we continued on with life.

I began going to physical therapy and seeing multiple doctors, but nothing was helping.  My walking was not getting any better.  The home we were renting was two stories, and going up and down the stairs was very difficult. (I actually had to go down the steps by sitting on my backside and basically sliding down.)  Because of this, we began to look for a more suitable home that was one level, or at least had a bedroom and bathroom on the main level for me to use.

We connected with a realtor and began house shopping.  After seeing several houses, we finally found one that, although not ideal, would work, so we bought it and moved in.  Our initial plan was to live there for about a year, until either I got better or we found something else.  But, as is often the case, our plans are not always God’s plans.  I did not get better, and we stayed in that home for more than three years.

Once we knew for sure that I was going to be a full-time wheelchair user, we knew that house would no longer work.  The kitchen was an incredibly small galley kitchen, the bedrooms were small, the laundry was in the basement, and the only bathroom was so tiny I could not shut the door with my chair in it (this made it pretty awkward when guests were over).  So we began to look for a new home that was more wheelchair accessible.  My husband spent hours on Realtor.ca, scouring every new listing to see if anything would work for me.  Any time a possibility came up that was in our budget, we would call our realtor to go see it.  Some had a layout or size that just would not work.  Others had potential, but the amount of money needed to renovate was more than we could afford.  A few of the houses would be no different than the one we were currently in, so there was no point in moving.

There were also many times that a house seemed like a good possibility, but it would sell before we could get the chance to see it.  This went on for months and months - more than a year.  We began to get very discouraged.  

I tried not to complain.  After all, there are many people in the world who have so much less than I do.  And my husband was working his tail off to be able to have the money we needed when we finally did find the right house.  So I did my best to make do and learn how to make the house work.  We got down a system of how I could have at least some privacy when using the restroom.  I figured out how to maneuver in the kitchen - even though it was tricky and at times downright annoying.  But I had decided that I needed to be thankful and content with the home God had provided.

I still prayed - often - for God to give us a more suitable home.  I told God I didn’t need fancy, just easier.  And I knew that He would provide - when the time is right.  

Which brings us to the point of this whole story - God’s perfect timing.

In spite of all that was going on in the world with COVID-19, the housing market in our area was on fire the spring and summer of 2020.  Houses were selling like hotcakes.  I don’t know how many houses we would try to go see that had gone on the market but sold almost immediately.  It was very frustrating.  One day, I finally said to my husband, “How are these houses selling so fast?  People must be in the know before they are listed.  That has to be the only way they are gone so quickly.”  I decided that the only way we were going to get a house was to find out about it before it ever hit the market.  I think I prayed only ONE time early in the summer that God would allow that to happen. 

One day later on in the year, near the end of September, my husband went to work as usual.  A co-worker of his randomly asked him if we were still looking for a home.  Matt said yes, and the co-worker said that he thought the house across the street from him was going to be put on the market soon.  The two of them took a quick drive out to where the house was, and Matt thought that it might work, at least from what it looked like on the outside.  So he asked if they could find out the phone number of the seller.  His co-worker got the number, and Matt called them up.  The seller was more than happy to let him come take a look at the house, which he did just a day or two later on a Thursday.

I didn’t go with him because we had no idea what the home was like on the inside, so we didn’t see the point of me going.  On his way home from looking at the house, Matt called me and said, “We need to call Debbie.  I think this is the one.” (Debbie is our realtor.)  When he got home he showed me some of the pictures he took and described the house.  I started to get excited as it sounded perfect.  So we asked the seller if I could come see it on Saturday, which they were happy to oblige.

Have you ever heard someone say something like, “I felt at home the moment I went in”?  Well, that is exactly what happened to me.  The moment I was in the front entryway, I knew.  I loved the house, and I felt like I was home.  Every room I went in, I could see our furniture in it.  I could see the kids playing in their rooms.  I even saw our pictures up on the wall.  The seller left us alone in the living room for a few minutes, which is when I looked at Matt and said, “I love it.”  I had that immediate feeling that this was the house God was having us wait for.

Matt got me situated in the car then went back in to talk with the seller.  Because it was not on the market yet, we were able to start talking negotiations right then.  When Matt had been to the house the first time, he had learned what the sellers were thinking about for price (according to what a realtor had suggested to them) - and it was a bit out of our budget.  They did, however, indicate that they were somewhat flexible on price.  But, because we both knew that God had led us to this house, we were going to take a step of faith.

Now, a few details about the house: it is about 20 years old - was finished in 2000.  It has only had one owner - the couple who had it built.  They were an older couple who never had children.  The husband had passed away, and the wife, who had many health problems, was now in an assisted-living home.  The couple’s two nieces were the executors of the home, and the family had decided that it was time to get rid of the house.

Back to Matt and the negotiations.  In his discussion with the seller, Matt had told them all about our family.  Then they were able to meet me and our two youngest daughters.  They indicated that, once they met us, they also felt that this house was to be ours, and here is why:  their aunt and uncle, although they did not have children, did have a heart for children - especially those with health issues.  In fact, they felt so strongly about this that it was written down that any profit made from the sale of the house was to be donated to the Children’s Miracle Network.

So when they learned that not only have I had health struggles since I was a young child, but that we also have a daughter who has health issues, they immediately knew that their aunt and uncle would want us to have this house.  The two nieces actually had tears in their eyes when they told this to Matt, as did he.  Matt, taking that step of faith, mentioned the price he and I had previously talked about - our best offer we could give.  They, without hesitation, said, “Yes.  That’s fine with us.”

Not only did they agree to the price, but they also asked us if we needed any furniture.  The house was FULL of furniture that they had to get rid of.  And it just so happened that we were in desperate need of dressers and bookshelves.  They told us we could have any of them we wanted - they would just leave them in the house!

And then began the process of writing up the offer and getting lawyers and everything else that is involved with buying a home.  But there was one “small” detail missing - we needed to sell our house.  Over the past year, we had been doing some minor improvements to the house - just painting and replacing flooring.  We had actually planned to put it on the market several times earlier in the year, but each time an issue arose that would stop us from doing so. (An emergency appendectomy for our son and a big plumbing problem in the house were two of those issues.)  But now we had to try again to get it “show-worthy” - and fast! 

The next week was an exhausting whirlwind of finishing up renos, having our realtor take pictures to put up online, and getting it listed.  Since things were selling so fast, we wanted to get on that train before everything slowed down.  We got it all done within a week, and the first three days we had six showings.  We actually had an offer from the first couple to look at it within 48 hours of listing.   We had to do some negotiating, but, within a week, we had an agreement.  Now we could continue on. I’d like to say that all with the sale went smoothly - but it did not.  There were many bumps along the way, many times where I wondered if it would happen.  But we did our best to stay hopeful, because we both just knew that God was in this whole thing.  November 9, we signed all the papers with the lawyer, and the house was officially sold.

On November 10, 2020, we moved into this new house.  We’ve now been here just about a month and I am still in complete awe.  The amount of room I have to move around in my chair is simply amazing.  The old house had many places closed off to me, so I spent almost all my time in my living room, sitting on the couch because there was nowhere else for me to go.  This new house has enough space so that I can get in every room without trouble.  I can easily move about my kitchen.  I can go all the way into my girls’ rooms (before I could basically only just get in their doorways).  I can shut the door to our bathroom and have privacy again!!!  I can get into the shower easily on my own (was not possible in the other house).  I can do laundry again since it is on the main floor.

I don’t think I can accurately articulate how blown away we are by how God worked this out from beginning to the end.  Essentially, we waited for three years for the “perfect” house.  There were many times in those three years where I was so discouraged and frustrated.  The other house often made me feel trapped.  Spending all my time in the living room because it was the only room I could get in brought with it a feeling of being stuck and closed in.  And now that I am here I feel an incredible sense of freedom and lightheartedness.

Waiting three years definitely wasn’t ideal or easy.  It wasn’t how I would have planned things.  But, as is the often the case when looking back, I see why we had to wait.  Three years ago this house wasn’t available.  Three years ago the housing market wasn’t the same and our house probably would not have sold as fast nor for the price it did.  Waiting the three years allowed me to now appreciate things I may not have even thought about before (never thought I would be so excited to do laundry!!). Waiting three years forced me to learn contentment “in whatsoever state I am in” as we are told to do in the Bible, and also helped me to build my faith in believing that God knows best.

God’s plan and timing are ALWAYS perfect.  It’s not easy to see that when you are in the midst of  things.  It is not easy to be patient and content when circumstances are difficult.  But waiting on God is completely worth it.  This house is proof of it for us.  I am so incredibly thankful for this home that I know without a shadow of doubt was given to us by God, and I love to tell the story of how He perfectly and faithfully guided us to it, all in His time.