I'm really happy so I'm taking a break from the wisecracks tonight, but just long enough to say that this may be the single best picture ever taken. Ever. Not just by me but anyone, anywhere, ever. But I'm not one to brag. It's not the photographer, it's the subjects. If you know Virginia, Sarah, and Heather then you know that this photo has captured them perfectly. I can't look at this picture without smiling back at them. Well done, gals.
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I'm very excited right now. I have a little something going on that screams, "God did it! God did it!" This might sound crazy to most people but to me it's amazing. So, here you go.
It's my house. I sold it. More precisely, Ryan sold it, and pretty much without having to try. I guess he's a natural.
Several months ago, my sister was renting a house. When we moved her in, I noticed how much nicer the house was than mine and said, casually, that if I had known it was available I would have taken it and put mine up for sale. I've been in my house for nine years now. When I moved in it was with the intention of staying no more than ten years. How about that?
So, a few months later, my sister moved out of the rental house and no more thought was given to it. Until Ryan said something to me one day about a friend of his whose mother-in-law was wanting a small place near John Sevier Highway, blah, blah, blah. I said something like, "Yeah, it would be nice to sell mine but I'm not ready to take such a risk with the economy how it is." End of story.
Nope. Ryan apparently wasn't happy with my response because he kind of stayed on me about it until I eventually agreed to let him show the house thinking, "What the heck. It couldn't hurt." So we worked up a time and I spent late nights and countless amounts of energy over the course of a week to get the place presentable. I left one Saturday for a few hours and gave Ryan the keys and a good luck wish.
All this time I was thinking that no one would want this place for what I needed to get out of it. But if they did, man, that would be awesome. I could get mostly out of debt, move into a nicer place for less money, have a place to entertain (it's got an awesome back deck that's covered), and save money for a while then look for a new place. Mostly, I am just ready to take a step. Make some forward progress. That's one of those spiritual/emotional things but, at my age, forward movement and a sense of accomplishment are important. Ah yes, wish and want.
Those of you who have been to my house know that it's no Biltmore. It's small, old, dumpy, and fraught with issues. So I'm sure you can agree that selling it would be a chore. Unless, of course, you know Ryan Thomas and God.
So Ryan shows the house and then calls me.
"Hey. What's up?"
"Nothing much." What do you think is up? I'm on pins and needles here.
"I sold it."
"Ex-squeeze me?"
"I sold your house."
"You're sh#**#%g me."
"Nope. They walked in the front door and loved it. The color's what did it."
The color. The prospective buyers liked the color. The color of the house of a color-blind guy who picked out the color by himself. Anybody else seeing a great, big God here?
I don't want to sound too Joel Osteen-ish here, but I'm beginning to think I'm not the only one who wants me to sell my house.
So the deal is under way. It's not done yet, we haven't even set a closing date. But it's never too early to be amazed by God. Whether or not it goes through is not what's important. Sometimes the important thing is just the feeling you get when you realize that God truly is looking out for you.
Happy Friday, kids!
