A Wake-Up Call....

For the past 7 months, we have had our house on the market.  That, in itself, is an adventure.  When prospective buyers look at our home, they are always accompanied by a realtor, who usually sets up the appointment in advance.  No surprises.

Yesterday, however, was very different.  I was sitting in our den, engrossed in a crossword puzzle, when I heard something behind me out on the patio.  I turned and looked.  There was a man standing there.  This was surprising for several reasons.

First, all the homes here in Plano are enclosed by privacy fences in the back of the home.  Second, there is an unwritten rule that you don't just walk through a gate into someone's back yard without knocking.  Third, our gates are always locked---or, so I thought.

Of course, I immediately got up and confronted the man.  He was wearing one of those stuffed vests (which, it occurred to me, could have easily concealed a weapon).

Me:  What are you doing here?
Him:  (Nervous)  Uh...I saw your home was for sale.  Thought I'd look around
Me:  You have to contact our realtor to see the house
Him:  I didn't think anyone was home
Me:  You have to go through the realtor.  And let me say this to you---you don't just walk into someone's patio area---it's a great way to get shot
Him:  Well...uhh.......
Me:  How did you get in here?
Him:  I just walked through that gate
(Me thinking to myself:  That gate is supposed to remain locked)
Him:  (Completely out of the blue)  Can you tell me about your home?
Me:  (Getting very PO'd)  Sir, you'll have to call the realtor (As I ushered him out the gate.)

Yes---this was a wake-up call.  We had become complacent in locking our doors and gates.  And, with people seeing a "for sale" sign in the front yard, the home has high-visibility.

Cindy and I discussed the fact that we had become complacent in our security.  This intruder was probably just a rather shallow thinking individual who made a stupid mistake by entering a private area without knocking.

But it was our fault that the gate was not locked.  This is how bad things can happen.

My Life....

Our Home Has Been On The Market 7 Months

God has a sense of humor, and He knows exactly what He is doing in our individual lives.   Unfortunately for us mortal humanoids, we are often on the receiving end of His humor and don't have a clue as to His level of enjoyment as He observes our reactions to His challenges.

You take today, for example.  I mean, here we are, two days after Christmas, in the heart of the holiday season, with New Year's Day fast approaching, and what does He do?  He decides that He will blast our lives with a flurry of prospective home buyers as we try to enjoy our holidays.

Our home has been on the market for 7 months.  We have had lots of "showings", and several customers have been back to see the home a second time.  It is quite a chore keeping one's home in pristeen condition and appearance day in and day out, but I thought (stupid me) that the last two weeks of the year would be void of people out looking at homes.

But today---two days after Christmas, we have had three calls from realtors wanting to show the home.  Now, you gotta understand we still have wrapping paper, dirty dishes, presents, etc scattered around from Christmas.  So, we hop to it and scour the home in record time to accommodate the first realtor---then, she cancels.  Ha ha.

Then, the second realtor shows up and we leave via the back door as they enter through the front.  They stay 4 minutes.  We come back home and the third realtor arrives.  They come to the front door, look in through the window, and leave without even seeing the interior.  You can't make this stuff up. 

Of course, I am not happy.  Cindy, being the voice of reason and the moderating influence in my life (thank God), calms me down and reminds me to focus on Him and not these worldly cares.

So---I got to thinkin', as I often do, about God and His lessons for us as He presents us with challenges.  I figure He does these things to make us try to improve our attitudes---in my case, He wants me to be more patient and understanding.  If I can improve in those areas, I just know He will bring us a buyer.  In the meantime, He is getting a few heavenly laughs.