Three years ago, my husband and I decided to sell the condo where we had been living for 13 years. We reserved part of the money to honor other commitments and part to purchase a new property. We felt that it was an opportunity to move from a condo to a house.
My city, São Paulo, is very big, and many people spend many hours in traffic on a daily basis, mainly commuting from home to work. I am a business owner, and to me it was very important to continue living in the same neighborhood in order to continue to have easy and fast access to my company, which is located in the vicinity. However, my husband and I soon realized that the amount we had would only be enough to buy a house in a very distant neighborhood, or in another city in greater São Paulo.
The purchase contract of our condo established that we had three months to move from the date of the closing. However, after looking at properties for two months, we still had not found a new home. Faced with time and financial pressure, we had given up buying a house. We found another condo, which was smaller and offered less than our former one. The next morning, we would sign the purchase contract of the new condo, but, deep inside, I wasn’t feeling that it should be our new home.
I had been praying about that situation, but in that moment I really turned wholeheartedly to God. This Bible passage came to mind: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). As I pondered this verse, I understood that a home is not a material structure, with certain ideal characteristics and located in a city, neighborhood, or street that I considered adequate, but is a spiritual idea made up of spiritual qualities such as peace, safety, beauty, comfort. These qualities are everywhere because they belong to God, who is Spirit, who is infinite, and who fills all space. We can never be deprived of them.
I honestly tried to set aside my will and see that God is always guiding us and meeting all our needs, as this psalm assures us: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. … Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Psalms 23:1, 6). I rested in my trust that I would always be at home, whether it was in the condo we were about to buy or in a property located in another neighborhood, because I understood that in truth all of us live in God. He is our dwelling place, and this dwelling includes only what is good, such as peace, love, and happiness. When we understand that we live in God, housing and any need we may have are naturally fulfilled.
When we prayerfully turn to God, we see the work of God unfold completely and harmoniously, and in a way that blesses everybody. And this is what I proved in my experience. On that same day, when I was driving on an unfamiliar street, I saw a sign advertising a real estate agency that I had never heard of before. I felt inspired to stop the car and write down the real estate agency’s phone number.
I got back at my office around 5:00 p.m. and called that number. I talked with a real estate agent and was very happy when he told me that there was a house listed with the amenities I had described to him, at the location I desired, and in the price range I could afford! I asked him if I could see the house that evening and he agreed. Enthusiastically, I called my husband, who, on the other hand, didn’t sound too optimistic. We were both tired of looking at properties, but I insisted we look at this one and told him that if it wasn’t what we were looking for, we were going to sign the purchase contract of the condo the next morning.
When we entered the house, my husband and I had a very calm sense that it would be our new home. It was located in a very calm street and I would be able to walk to work.
On that same night, we made an offer and the owner of the house accepted it. We also immediately canceled our commitment with the owner of the condo we were about to buy, which ended up being a blessing to him, because someone else had become interested in buying it and offered an amount that was higher than the amount we could pay.
Our new home has blessed us in every single way, but, to me, what was most meaningful was that this experience helped me change my concept of home and understand that we can always feel safe and joyful, and know that, because we live, and move, and have our being in God (see Acts 17:28), we are always in our right place.
