The American Dream

After our real estate agent (whom we adored) had to leave the business, I’m not going to lie- I was pretty stressed out about our house situation. This isn’t the ideal time to be selling a house you just purchased a few months ago (is there ever an ideal time to do that?). But last week, I had this amazing peace that it was time to enjoy my house, and God was reminding me that He was in control of this (I mean, He’s done bigger things).

So I came home and cleaned the house and started thinking of new ways to decorate and enjoy it. And in the midst of this cleaning frenzy, I get a phone call.

The woman on the phone had randomly driven by our neighborhood and randomly driven by "our house, and after checking out the pictures of our home online, she “fell in love” (the paint colors did it, she said- whew, that made that hard work so worth it!). Long story short, she wanted the house. And she wanted it by the end of the week.

So, praise Jesus for reminding me that He is in way more control than we are, and that He is the best real estate agent out there (and He charges way less).

Let’s also discuss how humbling it is to speed-pack your three-bedroom house… for a one-bedroom apartment in California (with a pit-stop in your parents’ basement for 6-9 months). You really start thinking about what’s important when you downsize like that. The Kitchenaid Mixer we had to have is just going to have to patiently wait on us in storage while I enjoy Mom’s cooking and free rent (can we praise Jesus for that too while we’re at it?)

So, we’re saying goodbye to the American Dream we got to live for a few short months. And while I loved my house and will miss it dearly, the chorus of Switchfoot’s “American Dream” reminds me that sometimes you’ve got to sacrifice for the real rewards:

"This ain't my American dream
I want to live and die for bigger things
I'm tired of fighting for just me
This ain't my American dream"

The house and the jobs and the dog have been amazing, don’t get me wrong, but we’re ready for the adventure…