I just started my first job and was looking for somewhere to live, normally you start looking before you get the job especially if you are moving to another city, but I wanted to be sure that everything was in place and all the paper work sorted before I moved. I had looked at properties on the internet but every time I called up, I was told they had not updated their websites or the properties had already been taken. The first two weeks I spent every lunch time and after work going from one estate agent to another but nothing. I looked at one flat which was in my price range but I didn’t like the area and didn’t feel comfortable, the next place was in a quiet residential area, perfect location for commuting to work but it still wasn’t right, I wanted something bright and cheerful as well as somewhere I could feel comfortable and I didn’t feel that either, in addition I thought although my budget could reach the asking price I felt I would be overspending significantly. I went back to the office feeling very discouraged not to mention frustrated because spending two weeks in a hotel was taking a toll on my finances. I prayed but felt that God wasn’t really paying much attention. One day my boss in a meeting said to me completely out of the blue that I should not rush and get something in desperation, as the right flat would come up as she had had the same experience looking for a house. I though about her words but felt that given the situation, desperation would probably kick in soon, if nothing came up.
At lunch time I called up another estate agent on my list and they told me about a property that had just come up, it sounded perfect both the location and the asking price. I felt my excitement building, an appointment was made to view it the next day after work. I felt relieved maybe God was answering my prayer. I looked at the location on streetmap.com and decided that instead of waiting to view it with the estate agent I would do a little detective work on my own and visit the place just to have a look at the location and get a feel for the place. So at 5pm I started walking, the place was not disappointing, it was in a nice quiet neighbourhood, there was a train line nearby, transport links were great, lots of shops nearby and to top it off there was a cake decorating shop at the top of the road, I thought this was a sign from above as I had started decorating cakes as a hobby. I decided that I would take the place and so I excitedly phoned up a friend to describe the place to them and then called up the agent to say that I was definitely interested and could I see it first thing in the morning instead. To my surprise the agent said, we are so sorry but the tenant has just renewed the lease so it is now off the market. I felt upset, I had prayed I had found the place and now this. Everything seemed perfect so why did the tenant have to renew didn’t God know I really needed a place. I felt so disappointed that I went straight home and wallowed in my misery by eating chocolate. I felt God has just forgotten about me. I picked up the Bible not so much out of a need to be comforted but to see if something would just show me what to do next and I read proverbs 8:3 about if we trust in God he would work things out. I guess I should have felt inspired but I read it and felt more upset because I felt I had trust Him all along and having the doors slammed in my face.
Two mornings later, the phone rang; an estate agent who I had called previously indicated that he had two properties that I might be interested in. Although they were above my initial price range he felt he could get a discount for me if I was interested, so I wearily said yes to the appointments but I didn’t feel excited as I just felt it would be another disappointment but after talking to a friend in the evening I realised that maybe God didn’t want me to have the other properties maybe he had something else in mind so this time I prayed God I am leaving this to you. You know I need somewhere to live so if you want me to have this, just work things out, otherwise give me faith to trust that you know best because my faith is really small right now.
The next day I took a co-worker with me for support as I felt he would know what kid of area the flat was located in more than I would. As the agent ushered as in, I felt like maybe just maybe the place might be a possibility. Immediately after going through the cosy bedroom, the spacious kitchen, the lounge and seeing the space for a little office I knew, THIS WAS IT!! It was very girly and as I am a girly sort of girl, it felt like home. The agent who I had met at a previous viewing called me aside and said, I shouldn’t be telling you this but this is much nicer than the other place, you could really fix it up and make it nice. I knew it wasn’t a sales ploy because I thought the same thing so I called a friend told her about it and decided to take it.
It has been two months since I have been in the flat and although it’s a forty minute walk to work, I am a getting a lot healthier from the exercise, the view of the park and the river in the morning, enable me to gather my thoughts before work and I am in a much more positive frame of mind that I have been in ages. There are things I would probably add to my wish list like wishing it was closer to work or that the road was less busy but I know for now at this stage, this is the flat God wanted for me and I am thankful that despite my sometimes lack of faith, he still works things out when we pray even if it is not the way we expect. This experience constantly serves as a reminder that no matter how bad things may seem, we must never lose sight of the fact that God cares and no request is too small or too big for him to handle.
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