Life Decisions Can Be Hard

Change. It's a word that can generate anticipation, fear, anxiety and excitement, to name a few. Life is never constant, but always seems to be in a perpetual state of flux and change. Sometimes it's emotionally satisfying, sometimes it's stressful. Thankfully, if you're a child of God and trusting in Jesus, you can know that He is in control of each change that life throws at you.

We've been struggling to make a decision the past couple of months concerning our new home, and the old one that hasn't sold. We realize now that we jumped the gun on building the new one. We listed the old house when the market was still somewhat strong, but just starting to soften. It didn't sell quickly, and we were already obligated to the construction loan on the new one. It was too late to back out, so we built, doing much of the finish work ourselves, and gaining a tremendous amount of equity. Plus, we'd owned the property for 4 yrs, and the land value had increased to over double what we paid.

We've been faced with a hard decision the past couple of months. Continue to try to sell the old house, or put the new one on the market. My hubby and I both loved the old house, and had done a lot of remodeling and yard work during the four years we lived there. The new house is lovely, truly my dream house, but it's huge. We overbuilt, and are now realizing what a big job it is to keep up with. Our grown kids have been urging us to sell, asking if we really want a house this big for the next 20 yrs...we're not getting any younger. The answer? Not unless I could hire a maid and a landscaper, and that's not an option right now. My hubby has never connected with this house emotionally and misses the old one.

A month ago we put the new house on the market, but I've still been struggling with letting it go. Yesterday we spent a couple of hours at the new house, starting to lay Travertine on the laundry room floor. Today, our daughter and her hubby came to help. The men worked on the tile, and she and I did yard work. And you know what? It felt like I was home. Truly home. I've poured so much time and energy into that yard, and it was starting to come together when we moved. Allen has promised me a brand new kitchen (we have the old 1950's metal cabinets in there now) if we sell the new house and move back, and we're going to replace a few other things inside, as well. The house is a 100 yr old Craftsman/Victorian style, with charm and character, and is SO homey. The updates we'll do will make it even more so.

I must admit, I'm beginning to feel a sense of excitement and joy about the possibility of moving "home" again. Will I miss the new house? Probably for a while. Will I love the feeling of freedom that selling it will bring? You bet! We'll have enough money to pay the new one off, and completely pay off the mortgage on the old one, as well. Mortgage free in 2008...a new beginning...that's our goal this year.

God is good. He didn't allow our old house to sell, and helped us build a large amount of equity in this new one. We'll get to return home to a house we loved, that will be remodeled, updated, and PAID FOR! It doesn't get much better than that!