I can hear Husband outside the window cutting the final pieces for our little porch.  What’s the big deal?  The porch is the last major project in our house building adventure.  Some small jobs like doorknobs, an outside light, and glass for the  Craig’s List garage door remain, but we are finally on the home stretch.  Soon we’ll call for the final inspections required by our state.  Then we’ll get to move our belongings in.  I’m looking forward to something comfortable to sit on!  Lawn chairs are good, but the proportions are wrong for my short legs.

We began our adventure 15 months ago with a cross-country dash ahead of a blizzard.  I’ve felt that tension for most of the ensuing months.  Every time Husband climbs a ladder, uses sharp power tools, or lifts heavy things that tension grips me.  Fear for his safety makes me uptight.  (A 12-foot fall from a ladder intensified the fear.)  Lots of backaches, fatigue, and cramping legs and hands are the usual issues workers our age experience.  But Husband is still in one piece- a tired piece, to be sure, but still in possession of all his limbs and his mind.   And through it all, we felt a sweet Presence.  We knew we weren’t alone.  All the nervous prayers, all the heartfelt thank-yous.  Why an infinite God would stoop to listen to our pleas for help is a mystery I can’t fathom.  Why would he take care of specks of dust in the wide universe?  Yet, when I look around me I see evidence that He cares about my minutia.  His limitless resources aren’t stretched by my constant pleadings.

Here we are on the other side of a task that stretched us both close to the breaking point.  For Husband, it was physical and mental.  BTW, when you’ve never built a house from scratch and you’re not young, there is a lot of room for doubt to creep in and hiss, “You can’t do this“, and aches to scream, “You can’t keep this up.” But he turned a deaf ear and kept on, leaning on a Power outside his own strength.  And here I sit in a cute, well-built house just right for us.

The building adventure stretched me mentally and emotionally.  That’s an understatement.  I actually feared for my sanity when the walls of the RV we had been living in for nearly a year suddenly closed in on me.  Three MRI’s in a month kicked my claustrophobia into high gear and I couldn’t cope with the confinement of the trailer any longer.  Physical pain is one thing, but losing a grip on my mind was one of the most frightening experiences of my life.  I will always be grateful for the Light that shone into my soul guiding me through that darkness. Then there was the emotional strain of a cancer scare, a kidney scare, and a spine scare.  I have new admiration and respect for those who live years under the shadow of fatal diseases and/or continual pain.  I’m not nearly as brave as I’d like to be.

So here I sit, writing our memoirs and everywhere my eye travels in this pretty, little house, there are visible memorials to God’s care and over-the-top kindness.  Let me preface the next comments with a simple statement.  Our building budget was small. We sold a home in a low priced housing market and built a home in a high priced housing market.  Need I say more?

I see the kindness of our heavenly Father when I look at the quality kitchen cabinets we finally got after the first cabinets were never delivered by the scam artist who took our money.  We survived that fiasco with our marriage intact and we’ve since used the lessons we learned from that disappointing experience.  I’m getting braver at voicing my feelings and ideas instead of being a wimp.  We’re conscientiously researching before purchases.

I see the generosity of a loving Father in the light fixtures that fit our decor that we found for cheap at Habitat for Humanity;  the attractive flooring at a bargain price from an overstock store our daughter found; the DIY countertop that isn’t a total flop; the stove with a down-draft vent that we found on Craig’s List lightly used for one-fourth of the new price along with the heavy duty deep kitchen sink for $50. including the faucet; the well laid out fridge we bought on sale with the clearance bath vanities that have storage drawers and fit our space perfectly; the still-in-the-crate wood stove we got for half price because the first owners made an ordering blunder; the $75. washer that Husband fixed for under $20.; the efficient closet system at a good price that was easy to install; the lovely front door our lumber yard sold us at a special discount; the solar roller shades we got for $1,000. cheaper online;  see, you’re already getting bored with all the details!  So why didn’t God get bored with our long project?!  Some would say that it’s childish to credit God for these finds.  All these are lucky coincidences, and we are good bargain hunters.  But randomness (luck) just doesn’t explain to me the perfect fits in size, price, and decor.  Really, what are the odds of all of these needed items coming together at the right time and place in exactly the form that we needed?  As for bargain hunters, yes, we are.  But hunting doesn’t necessarily mean finding.  Having so many items come together in the timeframe of our building schedule was beyond our ability to control.  We are convinced God’s generous hand was in our great finds.

Then there are the many men and women who served us, doing jobs we couldn’t.  The hard working well driller who treated our well as if it were his own.  For days we stood in the bone-chilling wind and rain watching the machinery dig into waterless rock.  Prayers went up as the rain came down.  The now $30,000. hole was still dry.  The driller’s diligence and compassion were heartening in a disheartening situation. In the end, he offered to keep drilling to a certain depth at no extra charge if he didn’t hit water.  Then, just as the agreed upon depth was reached, and all hope faded a little water!  He suggested drilling a short distance further to see if more water could be found.  Yes!  A well strong enough to support not one, but two families!  Shortly after, a young couple purchased the adjoining property and went in half on the now $32,000. well.  The skilled excavator who formed our septic system, dug our foundation hole, and cut our driveway did exactly what he promised.  The foundation workers who laughed and played happy music while they worked hard in the wind and cold;  the small, but industrious man who put up the siding while Husband labored at other work; the heat system workers who gave us a comfortable living environment; the sheet rockers who did the job Husband wasn’t skilled at; the employees at our local lumber yard who gave advice and a discount, and even at the big box stores there were always willing sales personnel to help us find what we needed.  Thanks to Lowe’s and Home Depot who gave Husband a veteran’s discount and saved us thousands of dollars!  And heartfelt thanks to friends and family who came to help with their skill and most of all, their love.  After months of working alone ( a fate worse than death for my social man), imagine how elated Husband was to have his brother come to help- more than once.  It was music to my ears to hear talking and laughter coming from the house.  And how can we thank our young next door neighbor for the beyond-counting times he showed up with his willing heart and strong back at the moment we were in dire need?  We wouldn’t be celebrating this milestone without his help.  Many of our friends and family couldn’t be physically present to help, but kindly encouraged us during the long building process with calls, emails, and comments on this blog.  We felt their love and prayers.

So each step of the way, we felt the care and love of our heavenly Father.  And that is why we are trusting him for the next steps after the building adventure is over.  Whatever he can use us to do for others, we’re willing.  We know he goes with us and provides all we need.  What will our next adventure be?

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