Joy of Obedience, Joy of Enough: Belated #househuntersdetroitThanksgiving Edition

We're so close to so many things, readers. Christmas. The New Year.

Rebecca and I are very close to some things. A joint week off. Having the new apartment set up. Paying off some debts.

And the one you're waiting to hear: closing on the house.

We signed paperwork this weekend to set the closing date for Tuesday, December 8. Yes, a week from tomorrow. We're waiting on the seller to agree and on a couple concessions, but our realtor anticipates that we'll get through this one.

I'm preposterously happy. If you see me, you might catch a dreamy look and goofy smile cross my face for seemingly no reason. 

I'm reminding myself that the last house fell through, that we haven't closed yet, that something could still happen. I'm reminding myself that there are more houses out there and that we're glad the last one fell through because this one is better.

 I don't want my happiness predicated on the possession of an object, especially not a specific one. 

There is no lasting joy in possessing an object.

The joy I have comes from the miracles I have already seen in the process, the goodness of the people who have helped, the blessing that comes from following our calling, the anticipation of living in a true community and creating a loving space. 

We are blessed through this home search process even if we don't close. I believe we will, but if we don't, our eyes are open to the financial and educational blessings we have, the strength of the relationships we've cultivated, the synergy of life with a true helpmate. None of those things disappears if this particular object (yes, a house is an object, albeit a large and hard to purchase one) disappears. 

And if we do close, those blessings will sustain us through the challenges ahead - because closing on this house will have been the easy part. (It's about now where the anxious part of my brain starts making lists and the other part starts repeating, "Fino is good at his job. We have the support we need. Gaye would have told you if this is a bad idea. You've gotten through so much worse with so much less.")

What I have is more than I realize and more than enough.

Let me say it again, as we go into the holidays and are bombarded by advertisements trying to convince us the opposite:

What I have is more than I realize and more than enough.

We're called to obey, we're called to join community, we're called to gratitude. We're not called to consumption. 

The joy is in pursuing the calling, not in pursuing possession.