(circa 2010)
Now that our “Ugly Duckling” house was livable it was time to deal with our house in Flagstaff. Thankfully, our renters had been taking good care of the house and paid their rent on time but we knew we would eventually need to get rid of it. As much as we loved it, it was like a huge albatross hanging around our neck. But it was 2010 and no one was buying houses.
Short sales had become a widespread phenomena in that troubled housing market and we considered going that route. However, thanks to the advice from our very wise, caring real estate agent and our CPA, we decided against it. Had we done that, we would have had to pay about $50,000 in taxes! Their advice? Foreclose on the house and file bankruptcy!
Our worst fears had come to fruition. It had been an ominous cloud perpetually hanging over our heads and now we were face-to-face with its repulsive reality. It was time to begin the agonizing process.
We had to hire another attorney, fill out mountains of paperwork and jump through too many hoops to count. It was a nightmare come true. Applying for disability several years before had been bad enough but bankruptcy gnaws at your very soul. It is humiliating and demeaning and undermines every bit of your self worth. But, we were out of options. We had to do what we had to do.
The dreaded day dawned. Our stomachs were tied in knots as we drove to the foreboding courthouse in downtown Phoenix. Again, we faced yet another hearing before an indifferent judge in a cold, stark courtroom. After asking us a few questions the judge struck the gavel on his desk, declaring that our bankruptcy request was officially granted. Our weight of debt was lifted, but instead of elation, our hearts were filled with a sick sensation. But at least the nightmare was over. It was time to forge on and build a new life.
A NEW CHURCH
As soon as we moved to Phoenix, we knew that we had to find a church right away. Even before we found our house while we were still living with Shannon & Gabe, we knew that finding a church was a priority. But where to begin? The process seemed so overwhelming. But God soon led us to Lincoln Heights Christian Church. It was the first and only church we visited and after visiting there for just two or three weeks we felt that God told us, “You’re home now. This is your new church family.” “But,” I protested, “aren’t you supposed to visit several churches for several weeks each before deciding which church to plant yourself in? Aren’t you supposed to like the preaching and the music and the ministries?” Ummm, maybe not?
The people were friendly enough and the services were okay, I suppose. But God made it very clear that Lincoln Heights was where he wanted us and when God tells you that’s where you need to be, that should be the deciding factor. Actually, choosing a church should have nothing to do with our preferences. If that’s where God wants you to be, that’s where you need to plant yourself. And so we did. And over and over and over again, God has proven that he was right.
We dove in and, after not too long a time, became intricately woven into the life of Lincoln Heights Christian Church. God gave us a new church family and they welcomed us with open arms. We were home!
NEW FRIENDS
There is an old camp song that we used to sing around the campfire: “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other, gold.”
Yes, we were forced to leave Flagstaff – its majestic mountains, its fresh, clear air, its ponderosa pine and aspen forests, our house. But saying good-bye to friends was the most gut-wrenching. Would we ever make friends in Phoenix as dear as those in Flagstaff? Phoenix is a huge city and loneliness was a huge worry. It would be so easy to get lost in the horde.
But we actually discovered a treasure trove of friends in Phoenix – in our new church, at work and in our neighborhood. Funny thing: wonderful people live in Phoenix too! (Imagine that!)
We will always keep our old friends. They are truly “gold”. And our new friends are all around us. They are “silver”. Yes, we are so very, very rich!
EMBRACING THE NEW
Life is a process and just when we want to sit back and relax, God likely has other plans – ones that make us stretch farther than we ever knew we could stretch and trust him more than we ever thought we could trust and believe when we feel there is no longer anything to believe in. And the kicker: to be content through it all, in whatever situation we are in. So many lessons to learn – and we’ve only scratched the surface. It makes you wonder, when does the time come when you’ve learned it all? (…sigh!…)
God was doing a new thing and was urging us to embrace this new life he was offering us.
Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
It was time to forget – and boldly embrace. And that’s what we did.