Thankful Tuesday: What a Difference a Year Makes

Just over a year ago, on Friday, March 13, of last year, I wrote a blog post about frustrations.  On that same morning I had posted this quote from A. W. Tozer to my Facebook page:

"God never hurries.  There are no deadlines against which he must work.  Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves."

Just a few days after the post about frustration, I wrote another post, this one about God's timing.  Here's part of what I wrote then:

On Saturday, just 17 days short of one year since we signed the listing agreement, we signed an agreement to sell our house. 

The house was shown on Friday, and on Friday afternoon we received and accepted a verbal offer. On Saturday it became "official".  And "real".

 It's overwhelming!  And we're still a little numb.  After months of praying and waiting, we have our answer.  And in many ways, it's hard to believe it's real. 

But it is!

And our God, who is able to do "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:18), has done exactly that, and we are set to close in just 45 short days.

What a difference a year makes!  A lot has happened since that Friday afternoon showing just over a year ago.  We signed the contract to sell our house.  We spent hours looking for the right house here in Spartanburg.  And just when it seemed this one was no longer available, suddenly it was back on the market again!  That made our decision very easy, since this house was our favorite of the ones we had looked at.

We packed.  We unpacked.  Then we went on that whirlwind trip around the country.  We returned home, feeling like we were moving in all over again.

This has been a year of transition.  Of settling in.  Of time with friends.  Of making new friends.  Of treasured memories.

Above all it has been a year of gratitude!  Even though it's true that we are still in the "settling in" process, and every little thing may not be exactly where we would like it to be, in many ways it feels like much more than a year since that Friday afternoon last March.  Because this feels like home.  And we are so grateful!

Grateful that God's timing is perfect.  Grateful that even through our frustrations and our impatience, He knew what we needed and when we needed it.  Grateful for the way He has provided all our needs. 

Just so grateful.

"I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together."  (Psalm 34:1,3 NASB)