stepping outside the comfort zone

The other day, as we were driving back to Virginia, I was thinking how over the past few years, I have really striven to live SIMPLY. And yet, at the moment, we're not really living very simply at all. While I am glad to be back on the east coast, this move has genuinely complicated our lives.



As it stands, we are buying a larger house, that will require more maintenance and absorb considerably more of our income than our house in San Diego. Which ultimately means that we will need to work harder to make more money so that we can support our larger and more expensive house. Some might consider buying a bigger house = progress and success!

And maybe I'd believe that, except ... for a few months now I've been wanting to write about a movie Charlie and I watched (on loan from Judd and Debra) entitled, "Hearing Everett." I had planned (before everything got all crazy) to host a giveaway for this movie on my blog, with the request that the winner forward it on to the runner-up and so on and so on because this was, by far, the most thought provoking film I've ever watched and everyone should see it.

But things did get all crazy and now I'm transitionally homeless so I'll just encourage you to go rent (or buy) a copy and watch it when you have a moment. (But don't be surprised if I still host a giveaway in the next six months.)



Anyway. The movie documents the true story of a Christian husband and wife, and their six children, who sold off everything they owned and moved to Mexico so that they could minister to deaf children. This movie was so unbelievably powerful, I watched it four times. And then, with Judd and Debra's permission, I loaned it to at least another 20 people.

Now, back to the issue at hand.

Although we withdrew our offer two weeks ago on the house with the creek, we resubmitted a second (identically priced) offer - which was was also accepted - on the exact same house, last week. So we're once again in escrow and scheduled to close on September 3, give or take seven days. Hopefully, we'll close ON September 3 because our furniture is pulling in to town that same day and if escrow hasn't closed by then, I'll be trying to figure out what to do with a big rig chocked full of our furniture.

(I wonder if they'd just let us sleep in the truck?)

(After 38 days, I really miss my own bed.)

Yesterday, we had our "new" home inspection which was very unlike our "old" home inspection in California, which went so perfectly, the only issue that the inspector noted was purple paint on the stucco of the house (Thank You, Henry). Yet, as a result of our "new" home inspection yesterday, we'll be having a host of other inspections this coming Friday including but not limited to electrician, HVAC, septic, mold and plumbing.

With the information that we currently have in hand, we're looking to spend a lot of money on a wonderful house, that needs much work. We suspected all of this going in to it, and we're prepared to a degree. But it's still tough for me, because I'm so conservative when it comes to finances that I really feel like I'm stepping outside of my comfort zone on what I'd like to spend. Then again, hopefully, this home will be an investment for us, because I'm confident that we'll make the place beautiful, and we DO need a place to live, and this IS a great location, and we HAVE a growing family and hey everybody, Thanksgiving at our house! And yeah.

This is progress.

Right?

But then, I can't help but think about Ed Everett. And how his young family lived in an open sided BARN in a foreign country, with cows chewing cud directly over his children's heads and how his newly constructed house burned down to the ground and they were desolate and they had nothing - except each other and their faith and everything worked out magnificently in the end. And now, 40 years later they have and are changing numerous lives for the better.

So before we take this giant leap, I'm just pondering what's the purpose of it all?

Specifically, what is my purpose in life? Should my energies and resources be directed to fixing up this old house that will benefit only me and my family, or should my energies and resources be directed in to something more globally humanitarian?



Globally Humanitarian. The thought of it sounds good and those black and white words sure look nice on my computer screen. But the truth is, I don't know if I could do it. I'm going OUT OF MY MIND living in a fancy hotel.

And there aren't even cows here.