General Conference To The Rescue

Just when hope seems lost, the future seems dim, and we feel like we can’t take one more step…General Conference arrives! This weekend allows us to pause, reflect, sit quietly, and see a new perspective. One of the grand recurring themes of the scriptures is the message of rescue and “saving” what was once thought to be lost. Today has been a powerful day of personal “rescue”.

General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could not be happening at a more perfect time for me. I’m grateful for this chance to escape the chaos of life and “recharge” my spiritual and emotional batteries. Today I have been remembering all of the blessings and miracles – all that is still good, right and amazing about life!

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Did I mention our house is still for sale?

Again.

As of this writing, we have lost 4 sales. Can you believe it? I think it might be a new record for our exasperated realtor. But, no one is more bewildered than our family. Trust me. It’s become our new normal to automatically place our dirty laundry and garbage cans in our cars every time we leave “just in case” we have a showing. We are continually cleaning and fussing over the slightest hint of clutter or dust. When we do get an alert of a showing, my husband rushes home from the office, places the cat in the car, and drives around the neighborhood until the perspective buyers leave [because not everyone appreciate cats].

I’m beginning to suspect the cat has actually come to expect his daily ride in the car. He seems miffed today that he didn’t get one.

Someday this will be laughable.

Wait…someday? 😛 Feel free to laugh now.

We’ve been trying to sell this house since March. I wonder if we knew then what we know now about this crazy journey if we would we have ever embarked?!

The odd thing is that we’ve followed all the “rules” to have a flawless house sale. We cleared out everything and ‘staged’ the house in minimalism. The majority of our possessions are in a large storage unit collecting dust [interesting side note: we haven’t really missed all that stuff. In fact, I can’t even remember what’s in all of those boxes…maybe I won’t even bring them to the next house]

In our attempt to become the “perfect match” for a buyer this house has been transformed. It now has a new bathroom & laundry, improved electrical, new paint, new carpeting, newly repaired roof, new patio surfacing, new landscaping… And, all the while, dropping the sales price significantly! The irony does not escape us. We are now living in a nicer house than we ever had the past 12 years – and now we are selling it.

It’s not that we cannot find plenty of people who love the house and want to buy it. The problem is keeping them. Our last buyers lost their buyers at the last minute.

I still have no idea why this is happening. I do know that it has to all be part of God’s master plan. He likes to keep us in suspense what the next plot twist will be. I believe in Him. I trust in Him. I really do. The timing is just getting a little precarious. But, I’ve learned things get darkest right before the dawn. This weekend is my reminder to just hold on, “enjoy the ride,” and keep going.

Last week during the Women’s Conference Session, President Uchtdorf’s message about Faith was so perfect! Watch this clip:

“FAITH means.. in the end, everything will make sense.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Last night, I expressed thanks in my prayer to our Heavenly Father for one of the recognizable blessings of this long process. We won’t have to move into an apartment now in-between homes. What a relief!

Way back when we started all of this I spent weeks searching for somewhere that would accept a short-term lease. I found an apartment complex that would allow us a minimum of 3 months – for a sizable fee – and I paid a sizable amount of money up front for them to process our paperwork, hold in deposit and run background checks on us.  I thought I had it all figured out how things would go. We would sell quickly, move into the apartments and get the girls settled, go to Europe, and then come home, living in the apartment until it was time to move into our new house.

Nope. No matter how much we prepare, things don’t always go the way we plan. But, things can still work out okay in the end. In fact, they can even work out better than we planned. I’m trusting in that.

The Choir concluded this morning’s session with one of President Monson’s favorite hymns. “If the Way Be Full of Trial, Weary Not“. We don’t sing this hymn anymore in our church services because it wasn’t included in the 1985 hymnbook revision. It has a great message. Singing it today was another one of those ‘spiritual boost’ moments.

He will leave us? Never, never! Glory to the Lord forever… There will be a brighter day, to all who Weary Not. – MoSop