The Red Door

I talk often about my mountain... this property we live on, this house we inhabit! I give thanks for it EVERY DAY!! I do not EVER want to take it for granted. In my mind, it was a long time coming and that is part of what makes it so sweet today. The story has been brewing in my head, and I want to get it down in writing! Thankfully, Write it, Girl, gave me the push I needed. (WARNING: There is a lot of back story and I might jump around a bit)

It really began back in the summer of 2004. I became pregnant with baby #2. I found out in the fall that it was a girl... Our first born was a boy. We lived in a 2 bedroom trailer. And like I'm so good at doing, I panicked a little bit and worried and fretted and stressed about when they could no longer be in the same room because they were opposite sex. (and then I added a larger home to my "Impossible Prayers" journal.)

She came in April of 2005 and fit just fine in the room. Toys and books were in the living room; dressers, changing table and cribs in the bedroom.  Then we had baby #3 in September of 2006 AND baby #4 in January 2008. Yes, FOUR kids in 4 1/2 years!! One boy and 3 girls... but still there was nothing on the horizon for a larger home.  We started to get just a little cramped... I started to get just a little depressed ... it was a struggle ... I was overwhelmed.  I worried and prayed and fretted and prayed and got mad at God and worried and prayed.

On the street before our trailer park, there was a gorgeous, LARGE home (not one we could ever afford, but I still dreamed of the day it would go up for sale). My son was drawn to it as well. It had a beautiful red front door and red garage door. My son wanted to live in that house, too. So I told him to start praying about it... and he did. At 4 and 5 years old he would pray for the house with the red door and the red garage and pretty soon his sisters were praying for it, too.  ... Oh me of little faith, I prayed, but I didn't pray believing.

Then in Summer 2009, I did Beth Moore's Believing God bible study and I worked on claiming God's promises... and believing them!!  Then in week 5, we studied Moses, and the people of Israel and their exodus from Egypt. I don't remember all the details (it was almost 3 years ago), but the important points had to do with the color RED, the blood on the doors, etc. And I remember thinking about the house with the red door and the reminder of walking thru the door. AND I started to BELIEVE and to pray, believing.  I told God then and there, that I knew he was capable of giving us THAT particular house with the red door and the red garage, but if not, I was also believing that when He chose to give us a house, it would have a RED DOOR.

This house on the mountain... it's not ours, we don't own it. We are caretakers. The 2 families before us were both from our church... so it's a word of mouth kind of situation. I remember when the first family was moving out and I remember thinking then that I wanted to live up here. (even though I had never been here and really didn't know all that was involved) and I was disappointed that they didn't ask us. But God knew the timing wasn't right. Our kids were babies, I was overwhelmed, to be 20 minutes from town, to have my husband have the extra responsibilities on the property, so many reasons.

Then in December 2009... just 5 months after I really started praying believing, the then-caretakers approached Wes to see if we would be interested in caretaking and living "out here on the mountain." I started praying like never before, knowing nothing about the house... just that it was bigger than my trailer!! :)  It was a waiting game as they were waiting for a pastoral position to open up for them somewhere, but it was really exciting to think it was a possibility.

Late February 2010, we finally had an opportunity to go and visit the home. I was soo excited and so nervous driving to the house. We drove up the long (half mile) driveway, pulled up to the house and I almost started crying RIGHT there...

Because there to greet me was a RED front door.

I knew then and there I was entering my future home, it was just a matter of when!!

It wasn't until July that we found out they were candidating at a church in New York.  We found out the second week of August that they were taking the ministry and moving in 2 weeks time.  I packed my trailer in record time and we moved in on August 27, 2010.

I am loving my red door. I have had so much fun actually hanging things on the red door and am thankful for the reminder of the promise from God that He will always take care of me and meet my needs... in HIS time.

All Glory to God!