Amazing Happenings...

Wow.  Much has happened since my last entry, so I'll try to catch everyone up.  Anna and I always wanted to get out into the country, to have some land under our feet.  Every time we tried to get some land, it was either flat as a pancake or they were very proud of it.  So Anna and I settled for subdivision life.  I love our home.  I love the location.  It has great schools, but we knew that we wanted to be in the country when it was all said and done.  We assumed we would probably build a house close to Anna's parents when I/we retired.  


Over the past year or so, God has been dealing with me on our finances.  Please don't misunderstand me.  We pay every bill on time and haven't missed a thing.  We are extremely blessed and thankful to God that we are able to do that.  But the thing that has been getting to me, is we are a slave to our mortgage.  We are in great shape financially so that we will have the mortgage paid off in about 17-20 years.  That is awesome on a single income and God is to be praised.  But He has been dealing with me about that.  If God told me to go on a mission trip now, or to do something financially for someone... I can't.  Unless God (who is most definitely capable and willing) slaps the money in my lap, I have mortgage obligations.  Don't get me wrong, if God is telling me to do something I am going to do it and the consequences can work themselves out.  But just the logistics of the matter has been running like Nascar in my mind.


Super Bowl weekend the family and I head over to Nana and Papa's house to spend the day.  The boys love it.  They run until they can't run anymore.  Anna and I just felt like this is what we wanted.  So the night of the Super Bowl, a few friends gathered together and I asked them to pray about what God had in store for us.  If He wanted us to wait, that is fine, but we wanted to do what He wanted. 


Now as you read this, you read the course of events.  Notice I was doing what God would want by paying off bills, paying the mortgage early to be in great shape financially.  The problem lies in this and I am so disappointed I can't stand it.  I never prayed about our finances, nor did I ask Anna to pray with me about them.  How can I pretend to know what is God's will or even what is best?  I must talk to him instead of presuming to know what His will is.


Back to the story... So I asked for prayer on Sunday night.  Monday morning, my boss calls me into his office and drops a bomb.  He says (and I paraphrase):

"The job in Centreville that I told you would continue to be a rotational (training) job had been changed.  We are going to make it a full time position if you are interested it is yours."

This is about 20 minutes from Anna's parent's house.  Talking to Anna's parents about the situation dropped another bomb.  We can live in Anna's grandmother's home for basically no rent (we pay taxes and insurance).  Once the house sells, we will have no money owed.  We will be able to save enough money in 2 years to be close to being able to walk into a newly built home on the same land without owing anything.  


This frees us up to do what we wanted to do as a family.  Missions.  We want to be able to go on mission trips as a family and not only go on some vacations together.  What drives me insane, is that I did not seek after God's desires until later.  Why would I presume to know the plan for me that an infinitely holy God has?  I don't have all the answers, but I know who does.