Stress and Provision
I'm afraid have been a bad friend as of late... to everyone. B and I are so very overwhelmed by everything right now.
Our tenant finally moved out. Just after she did, our new tenants - and current neighbors - have just informed us that they will be leaving as soon as their lease runs out (July).
So, we now have THREE empty units that we must clean and rent out within the next 10 days (in order to get rent money in July).
On top of all that, we are still trying to get the floors finished in our new duplex and have everything unpacked and cleaned by this weekend - for B's bday party.
*sigh*
It's all a bit overwhelming.
But, the Lord has been providing for us.
I have already explained to you how He cut my car repair bill down from $2000 to $1000. If you didn't recap... here is a summary:
I need a new engine. We got an original quote from a mechanic, saying it would cost us close to $2000. I called a friend of ours who owns a body shop to see if he could put the word out that we need a new engine. He said he had just heard from a friend who had my EXACT engine, for $400. He also knew a guy who would do the labor for about $600. So, in about a 5minute period of time, our auto repair bill was cut in half. Thank the Lord!
But the Lord has been supplying our needs in other ways too...
We left our washer and dryer in the old duplex because (1) the dryer was crap and had to run twice to dry one load of laundry (2) they had been left outside in B's bachelor-house before we got married, so they were rusty on the outside and quite ugly (3) we can get more rent if we leave the washer and dryer.
BUT, as you may realize, that leaves US without a washer and dryer. This wasn't a problem... until my car broke down. We had $xx set aside for new floors, a washer and dryer, a lawn mower (since we have never owned one), and money to pay someone to come clean out the two vacant units.
BUT, alas, car repairs are costing about $1000, and everything except the floors had to be scrapped.
Still, we were without a washer and dryer, and we had already put in the new lease that we would leave it there... so what were we to do?
We read in the paper about a yard sale where they had a washer and dryer for sale. We figured they were probably really crappy, but if they worked, we would get them anyways. Then we would use them until we could afford new ones, and we could put these in another one of our units and charge higher rent.
We went to the yard sale at 7:30am Saturday morning. And you know what? They were REALLY nice! They were the same models that C and J have in their house, and they were only about a year old. An elderly lady had bought them, used them only for herself, and then had to sell them when she moved to a nursing home.
And the best part? They were for sale for $300! We talked them down to $275!!!!
So, I dropped B off at work, went by the ATM to get cash, and went back to the yard sale to pay for the w/d. As I'm leaving, the guy says, "You don't need a lawn mower, do you?"
I said, "As a matter of fact, we do."
He showed me a nice, Craftsman push-mower, with a bag. And how much to you think he was selling it for?
$200?
$150?
$100?
Nope.
$60.
So for $335, we got a nice, almost new washer, dryer, and lawn mower.
We were expecting to pay about $1000 for all three of those.
Do you see how the Lord is providing?
So I'm really trying not to stress. I'm trying to keep in mind that the Lord will not order something He is unwilling to pay for.
He told us to buy this duplex. He arranged for it to happen. And He has continually provided what we need.
Thank you, Lord. Help me to trust you even more over the next couple weeks.
I love you.
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Still, I am saying all that to say this...
Friends, please don't feel offended if I am not as available as usual over the next few days. I am not intentionally ignoring anybody. I simply have not had time to do ANYTHING but work on duplex stuff. I love you all! And things WILL be back to normal in a couple weeks! Thanks for understanding!