As of last week, we are selling our house.
Well, trying to anyway.
Just a few days after I soapboxed about not missing out on my children’s precious little lives because of something silly like cleaning house, I found myself cleaning house. A lot.
We were getting ready to show it to a couple of prospective buyers, and suddenly all these kids that I was supposed to be enjoying were really getting on my nerves.
I need this house spotless! No Legos, Christian Hall! No snacks! No books! Disaster follows you, boy! Who got out these colored pencils? No one here may have fun, you hear me! No one!
So it’s been fun…
These children? Getting on your nerves, you say? Never!
We’re trying to buy a small farm, you see.
It’s about 10 minutes away, sits on seven acres and a river, and includes a ramshackle cool workshop that Josh salivates over and a dilapidated cool barn where he envisions hosting barn dances and I envision children plummeting from haylofts and breaking expensive bones.
The thing is, we dreamed of this farm for five years. We’ve prayed for it continually for five years. We talked about it so much our kids now refer it as “our farm” and ask when we’re going to move and how many rabbits they can have in the needs-to-be-turned-into-scrap-lumber cool rabbit hutch.
Also, we have a lot of work to do on this farm. In case I didn’t mention that already.
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That’s the scary thing about dreams. You know how extra bad it’s gonna hurt if it all falls through. And it very well could. There are many details, many contingencies, many points where one problem could put a stop to the whole thing and it would be over. Our shared, family vision five-years-in-coming could come to an end.
Just. Like. That.
And then I get afraid. Because if it doesn’t pan out, if it does all fall through, what happens next, God?
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I found a verse. I love it. If I was tattoo-er, I might go so far as to make my love for it permanent. But instead, I’ll just memorize it.
It says, “The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever” (Isaiah 32:17).
Yep. That’s what I want, right there: Peace. Quietness. Confidence.
I’m not suggesting that I’m righteous, mind you. (If you’ve read this blog very long, I’m hoping you’ve gathered that by now.) Besides, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).
But I think of Abraham, who was certainly not perfect either, and how Genesis 15:6 records that he “believed the Lord, and he credited to him as righteousness.”
God had made Abraham a wild promise, and Abraham believed. Simple as that. And, if scripture can be trusted—and I’m betting my life that it can—then God has not changed.
So let’s do the math:
Abraham + Believing God = Righteousness.
Righteousness = Peace, Quietness, and Confidence.
Therefore:
Believing God = Peace, Quietness, and Confidence.
This house. I love you and your two red front doors. But I must sell you. Pronto. No hard feelings, eh?
Selling our house is stressful. Buying the farm is insane.
But we are believing God.
It could all go beautifully. Every form could pass through the bank without hiccup. A buyer could offer us full price on our house today. We could win a bazillion dollars and host that barn dance and invite all of you loyal readers and install a railing in the hayloft.
Or.
The farm could not appraise for what the seller’s asking. A home inspection could reveal a major problem. Our house could sit on the market for (gulp) years.
But it does not matter.
We don’t know what happens next, but we are believing God. Because believing God yields peace, quietness and confidence, no matter the situation. Good or bad. Sell or no sell. Farm or no farm.
God does not change, nor do his promises. Believing him today still yields the same blessings it did for Abraham thousands of years ago.
Peace. Quietness. Confidence. Righteousness.
So, I believe, it’s worth believing him.
So let’s do, shall we? Let’s believe him together.
Where can you believe him today? Right now? This moment?
Hannah, yes, Yes, YES!!!! I am jumping up and down inside reading this! I can bear witness to the fact that you are exactly correct–come what may, believing that He is who He says He is (Kind, Wise, Intentional, Loving), is what leads to quietness and peace. And sometimes, in return for our absolute trust in His perfect plan for our lives, He even gives us the occasional peek into the answer to all of our “why?” questions. Love this post. THANK YOU!!!
Thank you so much for your confirmation, Laura. I struggled again with this one. (That seems to happen often, doesn’t it??) But, my sweet friend, as I told you the other day, when I think of “quiet confidence,” you are the one who comes to mind. So thanks for providing me with a visual. 🙂
Love this! I’m living this as well right now. I keep trusting, believing, praying. Are we making the right decision moving? Will we be as happy in our new house? Will we like it out there? Will it all go through without a hitch? Questions questions which is really worry worry. Trying to keep myself in check and remember that if this is Gods plan….it will all work out for the good! Loved this post! Remember…just throw all those Legos, books and kids in the car when you need to show the house;-)
And I’m praying for you. Today. Right this very moment, in fact!!
Now, this one really is my favorite post of yours. I know, i Know, I think that every time I read a new post. 🙂
I was not familiar with that verse, though I’m sure I’ve read it many times. Wow. Great verse. Thanks for spotlighting it.
Thank God for spotlighting it for me! He knew this worry-wort needed a fresh verse to keep her from pulling her hair out…He provided, as always.
Hannah, your example of Abraham brought to mind a verse I just memorized: Romans 8:20-21 (OK, that’s two verses). “Yet, with respect to the promise of God, he [Abraham] did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.”
So what has God promised us that we are to believe with unwavering faith? Many things, but in connection to what you’ve shared here, I think we’re promised the righteousness of Christ when we trust in His work at the cross. That’s the righteousness you’re speaking of that yields peace and quietness and confidence.
Thanks for connecting those dots. Very cool!
YES! Thank you, Rebecca, for brining up the righteousness we have through Christ. I had SEVERAL paragraphs written about 2 Cor. 5:21 and how it blows my mind that when God looks at us he sees Jesus’ righteousness instead of our sin, but then time, space, and my tendency towards wordiness forced me to pare it down a bit. So thank you for connecting those dots!
What really blows my mind is that believing God before Christ and believing God after Christ are in no way different. Abraham just had to trust God and believe in the idea of the coming Savior, and we just have to trust God and believe in the power of the Savior he sent.
Believing God. Oh my. So important no matter when you live (or lived). 🙂
Thank you, again, for bringing it to Jesus. Praise God for the peace, quietness and confidence he gives!
Hannah,
Thank you for posting about this at this time. By the way I am so glad to hear that this farm house is going to workout for you. Since you have told me about it I have been praying that God would allow it to be yours. How much FUN your kids will have on a farm!!!! Kids are made to have fun, sometimes if we as adults will stop for just a few min we can learn so much frm them. I am praying and believing and expecting God to make it all fall into place for you. Yes, Italy be a lot of work, it will be worth it all I promise! Sometimes God’s delay to our prayers are just as much the answer and makes it even better when it is fulfilled.
As we are working through a lot to get ready for our big adventure… It is stressful, in trying to get everything done, waiting. Will it all workout will it all come together? Even in the stressful ness of it all. I am seeing Gods goodness and what he is doing in us through this prosscess. I was encouraged by the scripture you shared. So thank you!
Sorry, about the miss spelled words…. Meant to say yes, it will be hard. It will be worth it.