A2Z Meme: Forget about the Garage

I apparently was out of it last week feeling under the weather because I forgot to do the A2Z meme for the letter F. So today I double up.

F—Forget

G—Garage

I know, clear as mud, right?

But I think for someone, it might be a FANTASTIC lesson.

See, nearly eight years ago we knew we were moving 300 miles away from everyone and everything we knew. It was a huge step of FAITH during a very dark season of loss and change. While I stayed in Upstate NY to sell the house, my husband rented in Ohio looking for our new home.

He let me know that with the many homes he was looking at, one thing was in common.

No two car attached GARAGES.

Our Upstate NY life was rural. We had two acres of land I was more than willing to part with because once my husband left for Ohio, I was mowing that. Even on a riding lawn mower it was a three hour job. That particular year it rained nearly every day which meant I was mowing a lot. I had a FIVE year old and a very sick baby. It was not a FUN time.

This was in 2000, when we lived in Upstate NY. See all that GRASS? It was up to me to mow it in 2004.

In addition to the land, we had a small barn with loft for storage, a FLORIDA room, and an attached GARAGE with a workshop. How I took that for GRANTED all those years. It was GREAT to unload GROCERIES and cart small children this way.

But the more we looked at homes, the more I realized a two car attached GARAGE wasn’t going to happen. Wanting one became an unhealthy obsession. When we drove to church I’d look longingly at the one seemingly dream home that had a pond, GAZEBO, and a two car attached GARAGE.

I’d look at our 1939 colonial with a single car detached GARAGE I define as a shed and roll my eyes.

My dream house went on sale before the recession. The open house line literally went half a mile down the road. Turns out I wasn’t the only one loving what I saw. Before long the house sold and I stewed about being stuck in our home sans the GARAGE.

Not long after, not even a year I believe, the dream house went on sale again.

This time, things were different. The recession hit and the house looked a little worse for wear. I noticed when we had back to back snowstorms that melted, the dream home side yard developed a second pond. Not GOOD.

Not many people attended that open house.

The house was vacant for a year.

The paint faded, and with GOD’S GRACE, so did my dreams.

Another winter, another spring, and that side yard had so much water ducks lived there. It became their dream home.

And I realized my dream home was my current address.

Why?

My family, all healthy, lived there. I love history and I love knowing we have a home so old there is a coal door. The kids always wanted a house with upstairs. Their rooms express their personalities. My husband loves his “purple” room where he watches his sports and plays FLIGHT Simulator. I love the living room where I can look out the deck and watch birds, so many happy birds. We have an above GROUND pool that last summer was the place where we shared so many laughs.

I don’t remember laughing so much in our two car GARAGE.

No, we still don’t have that. It’s so FULL of my husband’s stuff that in dangerous weather, I don’t even try to put it in the GARAGE.

And that’s okay.

So if you are wanting something you don’t have, FORGET about it. Perhaps what GOD has for you already exists.

Why not take a look around?

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