This was our home for almost 18 years..... seems hard to believe but when the decision to sell came about in mid June and we had a buyer in August, all one could say was - this is God's plan. This econmy... this market... in Okeechobee.... believe me, this was God's plan. I have wanted to post about our home...wanted to share a few memories, but I was also careful as I don't want to allow the Enemy to use any part of this to harm, hurt, or cause a set back. However, I read a blog today from a woman named Elisabeth and she is 'not' in my shoes but is selling her home and moving after some very real situations and I could relate. She stated she put a piece of paper on the counter of her home and began to write the memories that she was leaving behind and that Jesus would walk her through the grieving of moving away.
I liked that. Another friend of mine, recently sold her home and moved 20 years life and I just spoke to her the other night -- about the emotion one feels. I could relate. I could relate to Elisabeth. I wanted to blog, and write.. but it just was not the right time to write.. now I believe it is.
The Enemy wants me to remember this place as a place where hurt began and hurt continued... hurt comes or sin comes to our hearts... not a 'place'. The past is the past, and I don't wish to remember our home in this manner. I want to remember the good times, the great times, and the times we had to use the neighbor's shower or bathroom because of a problem. The time that Taylor screamed for 3 solid weeks when we moved in because she did not like being by herself at the other end of the house. I want to remember how I bathed Hunter right there in the kitchen sink. I want to remember how I washed Taylor's hair after we found lice... and I want to remember how God spared Taylor from being a burn victim when I left a hot iron on in the extra room. I want to remember every Christmas morning and the kids being taped as they woke up and opened their gifts. I want to remember all the hiding placed I put their EAster baskets. I want to remember how we repainted and how the kids picked their furnishings when we put them in their own rooms. I want to remember EACH and every holiday when we pulled out the Christmas decorations and we decorated. And I want to remember the 'storm of the century' and see my husband, Hunter, and Taylor all pick up the branches of broken trees from the back yard. Or when the hurricane's came through and we had to sleep at the Veranno's and poop and pee in a bucket outside. And I want to remember the golf balls that would hit those trees at times... and we could hear a distinct 'ping'. That is what I will choose to remember.
The kitchen was a place of gathering - ALL the time. Funny how this picture looks so perfect - the kitchen was never perfect. You would constantly see clutter on the counter or a kid's backpack sitting by the door and not to mention my book bag or Brendan' s stash of insurance stuff that he was working on. I believe the BEST memories here were that of baking cookies... at the holiday time. I also remember MANY gingerbread houses that were made, decorated, and then destroyed here. Or how about the day we realized that Bella could get up on that table and EAT whatever was left. Oh my. The window overlooked our private sun bathing area..... I think Hunter used it more in the past few years than I ever did.
Before there was furniture in here...this was dance city USA. When the kids were young, dancing around the stereo was a constant especially when Aunt Diann visited or when Chanley and Jaiden were over. And there were MANY nights where you could see Brendan and I dancing... goofing with the kids, and even in the moonlight before bed.. now that was a good 8-10 years ago, but I believe the dancing will start again. I do. You can see the beautiful outside... many rabbits crossed that yard and watching the kids swing on the neighbor's tree was a standard. There is also the day when I was looking outside only to see Daron shoot or maybe it was Todd -- shooting at one of those bunnies -- that was not a 'fun' thing. And then the TV.... Every night, this area was full -- especially if there was a sports game on. Now, we have four tv's... we each have our own... but yet, we still end up fighting for the one in the living room.
Our bathroom .... couldn't take a photo of the kids' .. need I say more? My tub.... the curtain that Grandma Ziemann made and the shelf that Lowell made to cover up the window so I could use my tub....
Many ,many, many, many ,dinners and guests ate at this table. I remember how tickled I was to find this table, a gift from my grandma, and then a matching hutch. It also gave me the perfect view of our forest outside.. that DID have colorful fall leaves in the fall....winter.. it really did.
And our reading room -- where we had many a family pow wow's...... were heated discussions happened, where fun transpired, where devotions occured for a bit, and where prayer was. The blog that I read, which prompted me to write, spoke about her prayer couch. The couch she layed on and called out to God. I can attest to that -- if you can make a 'black' light that shows the leftovers of blood after a crime... can you make a light that shows how often my tears soaked that couch? Or would the light show how often my knees pressed into that carpet? And I must say, Brendan's knees were on that carpet too.. just at different times. That is probably one of the factors for the hurt -- we needed to be there together on our knees. Again, I guess those may be some of the 'bad' memories but they are real. I sat here one particular night with both of my kids and we prayed for our family... and it is a memory that was real and was so loving....and God answered that prayer. God is doing a work in our lives. God is in heaven. HE is real. HE allowed this beautiful home and HE allowed the hurt that entered, but that is in the past now. I praise HIM for HIS timing and HIS comfort and I thank HIM for holding each and every tear that was shed in that home -- on that couch -- each one was never shed without HIM knowing.
This was our home for almost 18 years..... seems hard to believe but when the decision to sell was proposed, I knew it had to be, for us to start over, it was time to move away from our 2nd home and begin an adventure of 'rental' life... it was the RIGHT descision. God provided us with a great rental and for now, as we plan for our 3rd home.....and we make the decisions of carpet, hardwood floors, and cabinets... I marvel at how God is so good.
To be quite honest, for years, I prayed that God -- someday I would like to build again and THIS time, not skimp on stuff. That is going to happen -- now when?? That is to be learned.
Thank you Elisabeth, for blogging. Thank you God for publishing her article on Crosswalk.com and for leading me to her blog. Thank you for leading in her life, as through her - healing took place again for me.
Healing. I loved #10 NW 138th Street, Okeechobee Hills, Florida 34972 -- right now, I am at peace. Thanks. And, I pray for the Brown's that now own our 2nd home... ( our first home was Apt. D 202 by Pogey's) ... I pray that our home, which was built and cared for in love will bring much joy and pleasure to them and their kids. Amen!
Michelle
