A Bump in the Road

Buying a house from Fannie Mae can take a long time. It seemed to Luke and me that we would never be able to close! As soon as we would determine a date, it would get pushed back because of this or that. During the several weeks of waiting, I spent a lot of time daydreaming and planning about the house. I packed as much as possible ahead of time, I made lists and lists of things to do and when to do them, I even went ahead of time and bought the 17 gallons of paint we originally needed (we ended up needing WAY more!). I really tried to use that extra time to help me be as prepared for this project as possible. But some things you are never prepared for...

Early Friday morning, the "big move day," our new home that we have been working tirelessly on for a week was invaded by thieves. Two men broke into the crawl space and sliced all the electrical wires and all the plumbing with intentions to steal the copper. The damage was devastating. I can't describe the feeling I had when I found out the news. I will never forget that. I was on the phone with my dad, and when he told me what he had found I looked at my precious sleeping daughter and my heart fell to my feet. The thought of someone like that being around the home I was about to bring my little girl to just made me sick. I wonder if those men had even the tiniest thought about how their actions would effect the homeowners. It's hard to imagine that they didn't think about it at least for a second. I wonder if they knew the heartache it caused, would feel any remorse at all?

At the time when I learned the news, the movers had already loaded our stuff into the truck. There was no turning back. The new house was without electricity and water, but our stuff was headed there regardless. They loaded in our things. I tried to keep a focused mind on the task at hand, and Luke and both our parents worked to figure out what happened and how to fix it. After all was said and done, nothing could be done until Monday. All I heard was, "you can't live in your new house until next week." Ah! After all this waiting, we finally get things done and are ready to move in and then this happens! I can't describe the frustration. I also can't remember a time seeing my husband any more furious.


However, I know in my heart that the Lord holds all things in His hands. Despite what happened, I know that He is still in control.

We have spent the past few days today. My dad and a family friend, Shane Lamontagne, were able to fix the water and get some of the electricity working (like the air conditioner for the downstairs). And yesterday an electrician was able to get the rest of the house back in working order. The police said that this is happening a lot to vacant homes right now. He said that copper thieves typically do not bother occupied homes, and that it is happening all over town. Thankfully, insurance will help cover the damages. This incident was definitely rain on my parade, but there is much worse happening in the world, and I am thankful for friends and family and all their help over the past few days.

There are just some things you can never be prepared for. Yesterday was a great example.