Patience Pants

Sometimes I feel like my entire life has been a test of patience. It seems like the Lord is always presenting opportunities for me to work on being patient. Maybe its because patience is not one of my stronger virtues but whatever the reason it always feels like I am having to wait for something. Sometimes when Ben and I are going into a situation that is going to test our patience I remind him (and myself) to put his patience pants on. This past week we both had to put on a pair of patience pants and it looks like we are going to be wearing them for a while.

Remember back a couple of months ago when I was super excited because we were going to build a house out here at the farm? Well…God had a different plan and he used the banks to put that plan into motion. Due to the large number of home foreclosures/sales banks are not wanting to loan money for new construction. So after 3 months of fence putting up, plan drawing, and survey taking we were told that we could not build our home. Bummer. So, Ben Colson and I moped for a day or so and then got back up on our horses and started out on a different trail.

We decided that we were going to try and buy a home. So, my husband, who is like a dog with a bone when you give him a job to do, got on the computer and started looking for houses that matched the criteria that we were seeking. A day later (dog…bone) he had found a home that was a mile (yay for Ben!) from our farm but that was in a subdivision with paved roads and underground utilities (yay for me!). It was a bank owned property and the price had just been lowered (Yes!). We decided to take a tour of the home and Ben contacted the realtor and set up the appointment. We took the tour on a Thursday. We loved the house and on Friday we made an offer. After negotiating with the bank a little we signed a contract and started the process of getting our ducks in a row to close on the home on October 26.

So from June through September we went from building a house to not building a house to buying a house and now we were looking anxiously forward to being in our new house by the end of October! What a whirlwind! So, like I said we set about getting our ducks in a row, dotting our i’s, crossing our t’s and signing away our lives. We did such a good job that on this past Tuesday our realtor and mortgage person both said that we would be able to close early! We set the closing for October 14. Next Thursday! Next Thursday we are going to own a home! Next Thursday we are going to be able to start moving in! Next Thursday one of our biggest dreams will come true!

Not so fast my friends…so Tuesday night we were floating on air excited and then Wednesday came and our balloons were popped with a sudden prick. Turns out the bank that owns the home along with alot of the banks in our country have been directed to halt forclosure sales until the paperwork can be reviewed.  Apparently our wonderful leaders in Washington, D.C. have become a little nervous about the rate of foreclosures and the lack of progress being made with the “recovery” so they have placed a hold on any property that is being sold that is a foreclosure. Our closing got put on hold. So now instead of planning to close next Thursday we have (been forced to) signed an extension that states that we could close anytime on or before December 30th! December 30th as in the end of the year. December 30th as in 2 weeks before my due date. Now I know that I shouldn’t complain about this because it is not as if we have lost the house or as if we don’t have a place to live in the mean time but to go from such a high to such a low in a matter of hours was really hard on Ben and me and to be honest this setback is hanging over our heads every day and it is a struggle to remain positive and faithful in this situation where we have absolutely no control.

So now…we wait. Once again, God has presented me with an opportunity to improve my patience. I am trying to remember that God has a plan for us and that he will take care of our needs and deep down I know this to be true, but Ben and I both could definitely use your prayers for patience and positive attitudes as we sit and wait for the government, the banks, etc. to get their acts together and review our file so that we can move on with our lives.