In July, nearly a year after we began our house hunt, my husband and I finally moved into a new home. It was not any of the houses or communities I wrote to you about in February. In fact, for a long while, it was a house we would not even consider. Here’s our story:

I saw the sign one day, driving through a neighborhood that I had discovered, and fallen in-love with, more than twenty years earlier when we first moved to San Diego.

For Sale By Owner: Open House, Sundays 1-4 p.m.

I jotted down the address displayed in small black numbers on the front of the pale blue house. Then, I scribbled the phone number written on a shabby sign hanging from a thin metal frame in the front yard. Slowly, I drove past the other quaint, cape-cod style homes, looking for any other For Sale signs. I found none.

The following Sunday, I dragged my husband to see the house. As it did not meet much of our criteria, we were in and out of there in a matter of minutes. And, our house hunt continued.

In the spring, we suddenly found ourselves caught in the middle of a real estate frenzy. It was crazy! House prices increased daily. Many homes we liked sold even before we had an opportunity to make an offer. The houses we did submit offers on, we lost to higher or cash offer bids. And, all the while, the little blue house, for sale by owner, open to view only on Sunday, sat untouched as if it were being hidden, covered, and kept .

In a matter of days, our options narrowed, and financial deadlines loomed. We decided to revisit the little blue house the next Sunday after church. Prayerfully, we looked at it through fresh eyes. Although it was not our dream house, we realized we could make it work. So, we made an offer.

A few days later, our offer was accepted. And, through correspondence, we learned that the owner was not simply trying to sell his house to the top bidder. No, he had specific criteria of what he was looking for. Here is an excerpt from his response: “This is not just another house, in a far-flung neighborhood, to me. It was and will always remain the house I will always love...So my first requirement is being fulfilled, which is to only sell my home to a loving family.”

Wow! God knew the cry of this man’s heart. He also knew our needs, along with His plans and purposes for our lives and exactly where He wanted our home to be. Our new house was not any of the places we thought it would be. It was not an old craftsman or victorian style house in the urban community I had grown so fond of. Nor was it a large sprawling house with acreage in the rural part of town. Nor was it the house we had our eyes on for months in the neighborhood where we had raised our teenagers, which just so happened to be right next door to dear friends. However, the house God gave us is the one, I believe, He intended for us to call "home" all along. 

Are you searching for an answer, trying to make a decision, or looking for a new direction in your life? The answer, God's answer, may surprise you. Remember this promise in Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.