the blessing of home

(photo sourced from Alli Worthington)

It's been six months since we moved into our new home, and I still marvel at the awesome sequence of events that led us to this place.

When we moved back to Kentucky last fall, Wildcat Guy had a job, and I was on the market. At the time, we were grateful for the opportunity to live with my parents, which allowed us to save money and avoid the financial commitment of any type of lease during that interim. Our vision was that I would search for something within a certain proximity of his job, and we would decide where to live, geographically, once I found something.

Then, on 14 February, I accepted a new job, and was asked to start just 12 days later, on the 26th. Nothing like a time crunch, right? But to make life even more interesting, I had plans to spend 6 of those 12 days visiting friends in Michigan.

While I traveled, Wildcat Guy and my mom spent some time driving around the town we'd picked, midway between his workplace and mine, to see the neighborhoods and find out what might be available. I offered feedback when I could, thanks to the convenience of Zillow and other online listings. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be available on such short notice.

When I returned to Kentucky on the 21st, we had still not found anything; but we headed back to that same town on Thursday the 22nd to see what may be opening up in the near future, while also acknowledging the possibility that we might have to find an extended-stay hotel to tide us over until an apartment became available.

Our first stop that Thursday was an apartment complex that we'd developed a good vibe for. The property was in a convenient location, the staff were kind and helpful on the phone, and as we drove to the clubhouse, we were impressed by the visible maintenance and care. The only unit they had to offer was a one-bedroom, but the layout was appealing, and the price was well below budget. It would also be available in just a couple of weeks.

We decided to take it. Application completed, we headed to lunch.

On our way to lunch, they called to let us know our application had been approved; and we made plans to stop by later to pay a deposit. It was with a big sigh of relief that we sat down to eat that meal.

But then, while we were at lunch, the apartment staff called again. To ask if we might be interested in a two-bedroom unit instead - a two-bedroom unit that had been prepared for someone to move in the next day, but for which that someone had cancelled their lease.

And so it was, six months ago today, that we found ourselves moving into a beautiful two-bedroom apartment, three days before I started my new job. It was the most lovely blessing, and as we navigated those stressful early days of adjusting to a new home in a new place with new commutes, I found much comfort in recognizing the grace of this experience and the peace of affirmation.

Life in our new home has not been perfect...but our new home has been the perfect place to navigate this next phase of our marriage. What a blessing that is, indeed.