I love my house. It seriously is perfect for us right now. Not too big, not too small. Enough room to roam, not too much to keep clean.
We bought our house in October of 2007. October 17th to be exact- 17 days after the first time I saw it. It was a huge ordeal because I was 6 months pregnant and wanting to nest oh-so badly. We had a contract on a house and were supposed to close sometime in September and move in before the first of October- which just happens to be my birthday! 🙂 Due to some zoning issues that aren’t worth the time spent to explain, we decided that we were supposed to be elsewhere. So, at 8 PM on my birthday, we went to look at two houses. The first I liked, not too shabby- but the second I fell in LOVE with.
We didn’t even have electricity to see the house, we uses the lights on our cell phones to walk through. But I knew this was my house. This was the place I wanted to own, to raise my children, to start our life.
Seventeen days later we closed on our beautiful home. It just happened to be a foreclosure before we purchased it, which left it with some battle scars. The most trying was the air conditioner- both the attic unit and the outdoor unit were taken. Smaller items included the doors, light fixtures, garbage disposal, and the garage door opener. Please tell me what someone would do with 11 doors from a home. Light fixtures and even the garbage disposal I get, but doors… REALLY?
Seeing as we were soon to be first time parents and we had just purchased AND furnished our new home- money was a little tight. Slowly but surely we bought all our doors (thanks to a blessing from some dear friends with the last few). We replaced the garbage disposal and bought new light fixtures. Before we had a chance to purchase a garage door opener some friends graciously gave us their old one. It was used and not in perfect condition- but it was FREE. Thanks to the extensive contracting knowledge my father has, he was able to rig it up in such a way that it worked for us!
About two years later, he had to return to further reinforce the door when it suddenly stopped working. It’s amazing how you don’t even think about those types of things until they stop working. It took about a week to completely fix- so we manually opened and closed it in the meantime.
Five years later (about two weeks ago) my wonderful free garage door opener decides to become finicky. Rather than closing ALL the way, it would get a foot from the ground and reopen. Being the fixer that I am, I figured out the trick! If you stop it from re-opening and close it again right away, it will go down!!! Yay! Because, let me tell you- closing the garage door in 106 degree heat-is NO fun. But I digress.
So- my garage door and I have been battling it out for about a week when one day- out of the blue- the whole stop it and re-close fails. So I try it again, and again and again- just to make sure. (I am pretty perseverant- some would say stubborn- but this is MY blog, perseverant.) I then got out of the car and stood in front of the door with my handy remote. Up, down, uuuuupppp, dowwwwnnnn, upppp, doooowwnnn. I believe I started to waver when I realized sweat was not only running down my face, but my back as well. Not to mention, my three children screaming from the still running vehicle. I proceeded to try a new tactic and stood inside the garage. Why? Maybe I could trick it into thinking it had won… Unfortunately, the eyes of the garage must be inside as well. No tricking was going on this day.
Defeat was admitted when I realized that my mascara was actually melting off my eyelashes due to the intense heat I was experiencing. I’m not sure if that was from the outside temperature or my inner temperature. Cuz I’m pretty sure my blood was boiling at that point.
Hat in hand, I pulled the red cord of surrender that releases said door from the jaws of the metal beast that refused to obey my bidding. I’m pretty sure I heard metal shrieks I laughter as I slowly slid the garage door to the ground. I was a failure. Victory had fled my grasp as the sound of metal against concrete echoed in the background. I trudged somberly to my vehicle, sweat beading under my chin. the refreshing blast of cool air surrounded me as I sat down on my seat. Head hung low, I proceeded to place my car in gear. And I that moment of pure defeat, out of the backseat I hear a high-pitched excited voice exclaim “Mommy, You did it!!!” followed my several claps of proud admiration.
My four year old had schooled me in attitude. She proceeded to encourage her brothers in congratulating me on my glorious accomplishment. I had done what I had set out to do. Maybe not in the way I wanted, or in the way I had hoped. But it was done. The sweat was not waisted. The effort was not left unrewarded. The garage was closed. She was not thinking of how much the repair would cost, nor the implications of the opener malfunctioning. She was simply encouraging me in my fight.
It’s all in the way you see the task at hand. Is the garage door opener a big deal- some would say yes. I would like to admit, however, It wasn’t worth stealing my joy. It wasn’t worth the attitude I had assumed because of my frustration. It was a hiccup. One that needs remedied. But in the whole scheme of things- not worth the worry it pulled out of me in that instance.
I thank God that He sets reminders in our lives to keep out eyes on Him- the prize. Sometimes He might even use a garage door and a four year old. What is he saying to you through your circumstances today?

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14 NIV84)