Overwhelmed

Today I feel like the guy in the movie Facing the Giants. When the Lord works everything out at the end of the movie, he falls to his knees and says something to the effect, "Lord, I'm so overwhelmed!"

I, too, am overwhelmed by God's goodness. Matt and I have been quite concerned in the past week about the initial bad report the septic at our new house received. Two septic companies declared that it was failing. One guy from the county came and looked and said he just didn't know what was wrong with it. Matt and I just replaced a failed septic at our own home. It's a lot of money, hassle and yard work. We just weren't very excited about the prospect of doing it all over again, but we placed it in the Lord's hands.

This morning there was a big pow wow at the new house. Matt, the homeowner, the two realtors, the septic company and the big wig guy from the county were all in attendance. Well, the big wig guy watched the septic get pumped and then declared that it was in fine working condition. As a precaution, we had an addendum written into our contract to include a reinspection in six months and any necessary repair done by the current homeowner if need be.

Tonight we had our final walk through of the house with the homeowner. He said he and his wife and family (they have 7 kids) had a goodbye BBQ at the house and a good cry. All their kids are grown now and the house is too much for them, but they're sad to leave the house in which they spent so many years. He and Matt made a very thorough once over of the property in which the homeowner told Matt about everything and even told Matt the things he'd planned on doing had he stayed. We were glad to have this information. He even told Matt he planned on leaving the leaf mulcher, lawn sweeper and fertilizer spreader that attach to the back of a lawn tractor. He gave Matt his 12" table saw. He said he had no use for those things any more and he wanted us to have them.

While he and Matt were talking, I stepped onto the front stoop. Just then a car passed by. It had the windows rolled down and I heard the woman say, "Is that the Macduffs?" Her husband stopped the car and they got out. She came running across the road. "Are you guys thinking of buying this house?" I said we were signing papers in the morning. Wouldn't you know, this woman was supposed to be my discussion group leader in the Bible Study Fellowship night class this past year, but then I switched to the day class. She and her husband live just around the corner. He goes to the men's evening class with Matt. God is so good.

As we got in the car, the rain began to pour in absolute torrents. I couldn't help thinking of the time 5 years ago after we had to leave our church. I sat outside in a snowstorm and watched the flakes fall and the Lord brought to mind this verse, a verse which has had such special meaning to me ever since that time:

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11