By nature, Mark and I are trusting people. We know that there are plenty of folks, family included, who feel that this is likely our fatal flaw. I can live with that. But, we WANT to believe the best in others, we want to hear their words and give them a chance to be the people they claim to be. Real estate is not the right market for us! : ) Last year, we worked with a family who really wanted to rent our townhouse and we were anxious to get it rented. They moved through our process at a snail's pace and throughout the whole ordeal, we chose not to advertise the house. A month of valuable summer availability passed by and we continued working with these folks who also showed interest in "renting to own". On the day we were to sign papers and exchange initial funds, they disappeared. Mark and I were devastated... they had been dishonest from the beginning and we were left in a precarious situation that was very nearly overwhelming to us. In moments of anger and frustration we vowed to never be so "stupid" again and wondered, quietly to ourselves, if all those who have pointed out this flaw in our lives had been right all along.
Well, we did find renters last year and just in the nick of time. They moved into our home in November and took exceptional care of it until leaving just recently. Mark and I had time to regroup and went back on the market with our home at the beginning of the summer. Recently, a couple has made a commitment to rent our home and are also looking at the option to buy. We have fought ourselves all over again and have come to a very basic truth. We have a choice. We have a choice to look at these kind people, who seem to be telling us the truth, and trust them-- or not. I do not say that easily because the truth is it's HARD. But it is just that... a choice. We choose to trust.
The past several weeks have been a struggle for me. I have not been sure if that is blog material or not. But, as I sit here this morning, I know that I do not struggle alone. This is a hard time for a lot of us... the economy has slowed, prices have skyrocketed and so many of us are seeking to make a life for our families that is warm and memorable and good. While we process through a recession and try to keep our heads above water, offering that life can feel like a tall order. As I toss this around though I am faced with the fact that parts of this struggle are exactly what I want my kids to see. I want my kids to see that when it is hard, I choose to believe. I choose to have faith in The One who has claimed me as His own and "does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men" (Lamentations 3:33). I choose to trust. I choose to trust my God to love me and have a plan for my life. And, as hard as it can be, I choose to trust others, as well. I do not want to be stuck in a life that sees negativity where it may or MAY NOT exist. I want to see the best in others and, in doing so, embrace within myself the woman I was created to be.
So, excuse my silence as I process it all. I am not through it yet. But, I am working and I am trying and today I am going outside to play with my kids in the yard we have fought so hard to own. Even in a time of economic struggle, that experience is FREE. So, we will turn on the sprinkler, get out a basketball and run with the dog. Today, I will live, in front of them, what life can look like when things are not as we had planned. And maybe, just maybe, walking with their parents through a season like this, watching their parents choose to continue to trust others and our God, will help them to grow into people who will be good and honest and trusting and open... and then it will be worth it after all.
1 comment:
Wow, Nadia! What a beautiful testimony! Thank you for reminding me that it is good to trust, that it is a life lesson to teach my children to trust and be thankful not only in times of plenty, but in times of need.
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