I haven't written in my blog for awhile. I needed time to digest all the happenings in my life these past months. But now I am ready to share this amazing story.
Two and half years ago my dear husband Georg was diagnosed with stage four liver and colon cancer. That entire
year revolved around his illness, treatment, hospitalization and we
lost him on January 12, 2016.. Georg and I had been caring for his mother,
who lived alone on her property an hour away from us. After he
passed, I continued to visit her, as we had done, each Sunday. Not long after Georg
died, she started ailing physically and was back and forth to the
hospital and rehabilitation. A little more than a year after Georg,
she passed on as well, leaving behind her home of 35
years on 55 acres of land.
Thus begins the list of nonstop blessings and miracles from the Lord in the space of only 3 months from July through September, 2017.
Miracle #1:Sale of Acreage
After her passing in March, my brother-in-law and I were faced with what to do with her home and 45 acre property. It was too much for us to keep up and we decided to try and sell it. One detriment to selling the house was
that the back twenty acres were inaccessible, due to a family
member's house being in the middle of the property. The house itself, being old and in a remote rural location was going to be difficult enough to sell, let alone this complication. Then one day, just by chance, I
was informed that a neighbor was interested in purchasing the back 20
acres. I contacted him and we made a deal. Now the rest of the
property was a neat rectangle that would be more appealing to a prospective buyer.
Miracle #2: Finding My Condo
While this was happening, my own house was becoming more and more difficult to maintain. I began to
feel that I should move to a condo. I had never imagined myself living in a condo, but nevertheless amused myself in
the evenings looking at them online. My criteria were specific: I wanted a
small complex, a condo with two bedrooms, two baths, one with a
pool and I wanted my unit to be close to the pool.
I must have looked at hundreds, none of
which were to my liking. But one night, lo and behold, I saw one in
an area I never thought to look, which was near the water. I called my friend who is a realtor
and we scheduled a visit. It became disappointly apparent almost immediately that
this was not the condo for me. It was on the second floor with a
miniscule kitchen and the complex didn't seem to be well maintained.
As we drove away, we discovered another
complex next door which had a for sale sign posted. My agent called the
number and we gained immediate access. It was a ground floor unit
with an entire wall of windows and doorwalls overlooking the
beautifully maintained grounds and immediately in front of my veranda
was the swimming pool. In addition, there were boat slips with a
path directly to Lake St. Clair, about two minutes walk. I knew
immediately this was the place for me. We made an offer, which was
countered, and I accepted. Now, came the question: how was I going to pay for this
before selling my house?
Miracle #3: Getting the Loan
I applied for and had an anxious month
waiting to see if I could get a home equity loan on my house. Amazingly, I did receive the loan and was able to pay for the condo
with cash and this loan. I was now the owner of a house and a condo.
There were changes I wanted to make to the condo before moving in. Finding the right companies to do the various
jobs, such as refinishing the floors, painting the walls, doing minor
construction jobs and repairs was challenging because
everyone in that industry is always so busy and I needed the work
done quickly. While all the work was being done on
my mother-in-law's house, I needed to prep my own house to put it on
the market and now also get the condo ready to move into, so I was virtually working on three dwellings at the same
time.
Miracle #4: Sale of My House in
One Day
The listing for my house
went online and the next day there were already 10
showings scheduled. I had to stay away from the house during the showings, so I drove around trying not to be anxious, or curious. I tried to occcupy myself,
going to lunch, to a movie, shopping from 9am to 9pm. By the end of
the day, we had two offers, both above asking price. We chose the
most appealing one. Now we had to wait for the house inspection, which went through with flying colors. Closing would be in about a month which meant I had to scramble to get the condo ready and decide what to take and what to get rid of.
I felt strongly that none of my
furnishings from my house would look right in the condo, so I decided
I was going to sell everything and start completely from scratch at
the condo. Which meant that not only did I have to pack, but had to
sort through everything I owned and organize an estate sale. In
addition, I had to shop for all new furnishings for the condo as
well. With the help of friends and family, we held an estate sale and sold almost all of my belongings in one weekend. I was left with a lawn chair in my living room on which to watch TV and my mattress on the floor of my bedroom, which was all I needed for the week before my move.
On my first visit to the condo, I
noticed a space in the great room that was perfectly suited for a
baby grand piano. In my mind, I pictured a white piano. I've been a
lifelong pianist and growing up had a baby grand at my parent's
house. Once I was married we never lived in a house which could
accommodate that size instrument. I jokingly told my agent, “The first piece of
furniture I buy will be a white baby grand.” Now my nightly
internet search was directed at locating one. White baby grands
are not common, but I did find one in a private home and made an
appointment to look at it. It was ok, but it was older and not a
bright white and she was charging $5000. I was in close touch by phone with
my piano tuner and he recommended that based upon the age I should
not pay more than $2500.
I put my search on the back burner
because I needed to find an estate sale company to do my sale. The
Lord directed me to look online and write down names of companies
which were doing sales in my area and visit them at their sales to
see if I liked the way they did business. As I was finding sales online in
my area, lo and behold, one of the sales included a white baby grand!
My heart was beating so fast as I read the ad, but dropped as I saw
it was the third and final day of the sale. Surely the piano wasn't
still still available. As I drove there, I was praying all the way. Deep
down I felt that if it was not sold, it was meant to be mine. The
first thing I asked at the door was about the piano. It was still
for sale.
It was so beautiful, it took my breath
away. I sat down to play it and tears began to well up. The estate
sale people, not understanding what was causing my emotion, were
rubbing my back, asking if they could get me some water. I knew that God, in His goodness, was giving me this piano. There was a price
tag on the leg: $5000, which I knew was well worth it. But then I
looked up and saw a sign: “Last day of sale, everything is 50%
off.” I got my dream piano for $2500. I purchased it immediately and called my piano mover to pick it up and store it for me.
Miracle #6: Selling Her House
In the last few years, my mother-in-law been unable to care for the property, which had always been beautifully maintained, and it had fallen badly into disrepair. My brother-in-law and I knew we had to try to sell it quickly to avoid expensive maintenance costs. With the help of my sister, my daughter-in-law, and Georg's cousin we began the monumental task of cleaning out the house and hosting a huge estate sale. After the sale, we needed to hire someone to empty was was left.
Then began the renovation, which included wall paper removal, painting, new carpeting, and finding someone to make the surrounding yard look presentable. Finally we were ready to put the house up for sale. It took a bit longer for us to find a buyer
for my mother-in-law's home. Time was of the essence, since the maintenance, grass cutting and potential winter snow removal was going to be expensive. A few weeks later we received an offer and we accepted. Our buyers were a family with children and the house was perfect for them. Once again, the home inspection went through with only one improvement, easily taken care of. The closing went off without a hitch and the stress and drama of the last three months was finished.
Moving Day:
I was blessed with the help of wonderful friends and family that got me moved into the condo. I could never have done it on my own. We sat on the terrace and had a celebratory glass of wine together. Life is good.
Now that I am settled, I feel as though I am starting a whole new life. I look forward to what the future holds.
Gratitude:
I feel as though a
1000 lb weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I can't begin to
express how grateful I am to the Lord for the way He has walked me
through every step of the way. He has been my provider, my advisor, my guide, my confidant. No one can ever tell me there is no God. I have felt Him and His presence daily and I will be grateful forever.
My husband Georg wrote me many lovely things over our 46 year marriage, but the very last thing he wrote to me before he went to heaven was "My cup runneth over" from the 23 Psalm. I actually found that he had written that in three different places that I discovered in his effects when I was sorting his belongings. I know he wanted me to know that he "dwells in the house of the Lord forever" and not to be sad.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
