Over the past five years our lives have moved more and more towards Lisburn. Sam, then Josh and now Ben are all at school there. I work from a Lisburn base and Keith works in Belfast. All the boys out of school activities are now in Lisburn. So it makes sense for us to move house.
This time two years ago Ben was getting ready to sit his 11+ and we started talking about putting the houses on the market ( we have two, we live in one and we built one in the back garden which we have always rented out) In my head I had it all worked out. We would put the houses up for sale after Christmas 2015 , sell by summer 2016 and have bought a new place by Sept 2016 ready for Ben to start high school in September. There was just one tiny weeny problem - the people next door wanted to shift the boundaries - in our favour as it happens. So that required a bit of legal paperwork.
Long story short TWO years later and we still dont have the houses on the market.!!!! Aaaarrrrgggh. We have redecorated. We have sorted and tidied up all the bits that never quite got finished before now. We repainted the outside of the house. Everything is all set and ready to go. But for the past six months the solicitors have faffed and messed and delayed and we still dont have the one piece of paper which we need in order to establish what we own so we can put the properties up for sale.
We have prayed about it. Lots. Lots of people have prayed lots. We believe that God's time is the right time. We believe He has the right people lined up to buy both our houses and we believe there is the perfect place waiting for us to buy in Lisburn. Really and genuinely I have no trouble at all in knowing that He has it all in hand.
So why oh why oh why have I found it so incredibly frustrating and annoying and downright aaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhh to have to wait?
Im really struggling with this and I dont know why. Ive threatened to go into the solicitors office and shout and stamp my feet. Ive threatened to move into rented accommodation and leave Keith to sort out the house sales. I have been like a toddler throwing a tantrum cos Im not getting my own way. I just want to move house. I want to stop the endless journeys in and out of town. I want the boys to be closer to their friends and to be able to walk to school. I want to save about £200 a month on petrol. I want to have a garden suitable for the dogs and to be able to sometimes walk places instead of always having to jump in the car. That's not unreasonable is it? 😊
We are all rubbish at waiting for things. Why? Surely by the time we get to adulthood you would have thought we would all be so well versed in waiting that we would have it down to a fine art. But it doesnt seem to work like that does it? Every time we come up against a ' WAIT' sign in our lives we find it difficult. Sometimes a plain NO is easier to handle than a WAIT.
I think principally what I am finding so annoying about the whole situation is that it is outwith my control. I am completely dependent on other people doing things and I cant make them do them more quickly. I dont have a choice. I have to wait and I cant change the process or speed it up . Suddenly the word ' surrender' becomes a whole heap more practical and real. Of course, when I get a grip and give myself a talking to then I can get myself into the ' trusting God' frame of mind. I have no doubt at all that He has got it all in hand. But...... hurry up God!!!
I suppose part of 'doing Lent' is about being honest with ourselves about who we really are. Owning our behaviour and taking responsibility for our walk with God. The past few months have been a bit grumpy. I have not covered myself in glory when it comes to talking and thinking about moving house. A fruit of the spirit is patience and another is peace. So perhaps Id better start allowing much much more of Him into my life. I think it's probably the only answer 😇
A wife with patience and peace yes please
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