The past 2 days I had an opportunity to work with Jeremy. A couple weeks ago I posted about our interior designer who was adopting a baby girl from Vietnam, and she left on Thursday. We have a subdivision whose grand opening was today.
The model home was scheduled to be completed before she left, but she ran into numerous problems with government agencies trying to get out of the country to complete the adoption. Most of the weeks leading up to her leaving she was forced to wait in different offices or would make an appointment, only to be told she needed to come back another time, after waiting for hours. It was a real nightmare. But so worth it once she held little Addison in her arms late Thursday night.
However, the model home was in dire need of attention.
So I offered up my help. I mean, c’mon, I’ve moved 8 times in the last 16 years. I know how to unpack and get a house in order. So I went over there Thursday afternoon and spent a lot of time making lists and digging through our storage warehouse for things we still needed. Then I did some shopping for small items to make the house look “homey”.
The biggest problem we had was that we needed some big ticket items. We did not have furniture for the office or for the sitting room, and we needed a twin size mattress. And my instructions were to spend very little money. Hmmmmm…and how much is very little? Um, how about less than $500? On all that?
The good news is we haven’t had to buy furniture in a while. We usually move into one model home around the same time another one is closing. We just move the furniture from one to the other. But we have a lot of models right now. And none are closing. So this one needed all new furniture. And the market has been slow this year. I mean S-L-O-W! So we are on a tight budget. I just didnt’ know how to stretch the funds, especially with only having a day and a half to think about it.
So, lucky for us, our decorator had chosen colors in the sitting room that matched our living room at home. I suggested we use our own sofa and chair in the model. I also ended up using Savannah’s bedding to make up one of the bedrooms in the model. Instead of making a second office, I opted to make a playroom and took a bunch of the kids’ toys up there, along with a spare TV and VCR, so kids can be occupied while their parents are (HOPEFULLY) signing a contract.
The guys came this morning to move the furniture out of our living room and bring our other sofa and loveseat up from the basement. It’s a leather set we got the first year we were married. It’s really comfortable but truthfully looks best in a basement. You know how leather gets all crackled looking? It’s not so noticable downstairs, but in front of 2 stories worth of windows on the main floor…Yikes!!!
And I was left with one lone chair in the living room that matched the other 2 items that were taken to the model home. I wasn’t sure what to do with it, but then moved some things out of the keeping room, and placed it off center to the fireplace. It looks really good in there!
Then last but not least, what to do in the basement in front of the TV where the leather furniture used to sit? Well, I am happy to announce that I moved my treadmill back in there in front of the television. I am actually kinda excited about the changes that took place today.
You know, when Jeremy was building this place almost 3 years ago I gave him such a hard time. “It’s too big”. “It’s too expensive”. “It’s too much of a showplace”. (blah blah blah) I wasn’t sure it was what God wanted for us, but eventually I came to the conclusion that he was not going to stop building it, so I could either be an encouragement to him or simply nag him to death.
I still don’t know if God planned this place for us at this time in our lives. But I do know that He is working it now in our favor. First, the fact that the equity in it has enabled us to keep our company up and running during an incredibly slow time in the building business, and now we are able to help furnish a model home with all the excess that we have.
Thank you Father, for continuing to bless us even though we were not the good stewards You expected us to be with our surplus last year. You know our hearts are humble before You now and we are thankful to You for the lessons we have learned about contentment, peace, and how we should define success. We continue to pray for contracts and closings, and ask that we might be an example to others of Your faithfulness to those who trust in You. Amen.
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