"Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:10
"Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:10
Last August, a couple of months after we were married, my husband and I discussed the idea of selling the two properties we both owned and moving out of the small cottage we were renting. We desired to develop, explore and share a more permanent sense of home and were also bursting out of the seams where we were! My house several counties away had been a home for two tenants who were also ready to move on, and my husband’s flat was empty.
Humanly speaking it was ‘not a good time to sell’ as we were constantly told by several well meaning individuals. Nevertheless we both felt spiritually led to take this step and placed both properties on the market, holding to the fact that no mater what the human economy said, God’s supply and demand were always in equal balance.
Within a matter of weeks, we had a viewer for my husband’s flat which soon turned in to a sale and all proceeded most harmoniously. We joyfully expected the same with my property. However this was not the case. I kept in contact with the estate agent weekly, only to be given the same line, ‘It’s ever so quiet in the market; it’s the same everywhere’. I almost began to dread these weekly conversations as they seemed full of doom and gloom. During one such conversation, quite early on in the proceedings, the agent suggested that I reduce the price even further. I rejected this idea outright as the property was already priced below what the agent had initially suggested.
As the weeks went on, the thought of reducing the price kept coming back to me. As I prayed for a clearer understanding, I realized that it was only human will preventing me from taking this move- ‘how could I lack anything with God as my Father?’ I reasoned. The next day I reduced the price and the agent stated ‘This will make it much more attractive to first time buyers.’
Several days later, I awoke early one Saturday morning with the sun coming through the window. The angel thought came swiftly- ‘You need to rebuild’. I was a little surprised as the house itself was only 7 years old! Working with this idea I realized that what God was really saying was that I need to rebuild my concept of the house, what it really stood for. Indeed when I first owned the house I had had to overcome many struggles both financial and emotional, to keep it as mine- it was in itself progress externalized.
As you would during a physical building project, I began with the foundations- it wasn’t concrete that held that building in place but ‘the structure of Truth and Love’(S+H p.583:12), underpinned by divine Principle. There weren’t bricks and mortar making up the outside walls but spiritual substance. The roof was spiritual protection and the windows clear thoughts and insights.
Inside the home existed all the happy memories of those who had stayed there either as lodgers or friends over the years, alongside all the happy gatherings which had been hosted there. Indeed the very ‘atmosphere of Soul’ (S+H p.587:26) reigned within that house and could be tangible to all who may look round it I reasoned.
I continued praying in this vein for a couple of days, really handing it over to God. On a completely different occasion a dear practitioner had told me that ‘Patience was not a passive quality, but active acknowledgement of ever-present good’ and I clung to this.
Two days later the estate agent rang to say that a young couple had looked round the house and thought it was perfect. ‘They are very excited’ she added. ‘So am I, I replied!’
Within a couple of weeks the house sold most harmoniously.
My husband and I then began looking for a house in which to place the joint concept of ‘home’ we carried within us. We looked round several properties but none of them felt ‘right’. ‘When we find our home, we’ll just know’ I said. Sure enough the fourth property we looked round felt to be ‘home.’ (Strangely enough I later learnt that this property was the one my husband had randomly picked up the details for over a year before, long before he had even proposed to me, thinking it would make a lovely home for us one day.)
There was more prayerful work to be done however as the couple selling the house appeared to be in a very unhappy situation. We looked round the house several times, during which time we also put an offer in on the house. During this period there seemed to be a lot of tension and general upset between the couple, each having separate solicitors. This, along with the fact that the disputes between them seemed to be spilling over in to the buying process appeared to delay things immensely.
Somewhat downtrodden, we went back to building and maintaining our concept of home, but this time expanding it to include and bless all who sought ‘home’ We held to what Mrs. Eddy lovingly reminds us that ‘Whatever blesses one blesses all’ (S+H p.206:16) and Hymn 278:1 ‘Pilgrim on earth, thy home is heaven.’ We were able to give thanks for each development no matter how small- indeed it felt on many Wednesday nights that all of our church was working with us on this one!
Within a matter of weeks all remaining disputes were resolved, each of the sellers found new homes, and we moved in to our new home in the middle of November.
As ten of us- family and friends- sat round Christmas lunch I think we all gave up thanks for the wonderful working out. Barely a day goes by when we don’t reflect on how blessed we are not only to have such a wonderful home, but a constant reminder of God’s ‘superabundance’ (S+H p.201:11).