Zig Zags, Plans, and Dreams.

Throughout my life, it's been my experience that God works in zig-zags.   The Bible tells us over and over that He has a very specific plan for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11), but it seems that getting from point A to point B in "that plan"often does not occur in a straight line.  Or so that's my experience.

I grew up in a secluded area that is nestled by one of the busiest intersections in Indianapolis.  My dad and his three brothers grew up on this piece of property where the original house is still owned by my uncle.  They spent countless hours caring for their beautiful pony farm which was right behind their home.

When I was in second grade my parents built a new home on this very pony farm-- a home that was nestled right in between newly built homes for my dad's younger brother and his older brother (while the oldest brother was living in the original house).  All four brothers were once again "back at the farm" with their families.  All thirteen cousins grew up next door to one another and we were always together.  Surrounded by constant companions, this was an incredibly unique way to grow up.  

Our family at the future home site at the farm

It has always been a dream for Todd and I to return "back to the farm" with our own family.  Having the experience of living next to family is something I treasure with all of my heart and desire for my children.

The prospective lot with the stakes set up for perimeter of house

Late last summer we began the planning process of building a home at the farm.   It all started when a home across the street from the farm went on the market.  At that time the home didn't fit what we were looking for, so we began to pursue building.  And so we began with the plans and drawings.

Through the fall and winter we spent hours pouring over drawings, countless meeting with our designer, and talking about ideas for our future home.  There is something equally exciting and terrifying about the endless options available when building a home.   Todd and I would spend evenings scouring the internet and having ongoing conversations via Pinterest (yes todd is on Pinterest)

Building a dream home.   I am not going to lie, it's fun but it's overwhelming.  And it's really easy to be carried away by that dream.  Building a home where we could "live forever yet afford today" was proving to be a challenge.  

It was SuperBowl weekend where we had a come to Jesus meeting about specific concerns about the building project.  The possibility of "maybe there's another option" came up and we began to entertain the (difficult) idea that maybe building wasn't that best option for now at least.

A view of the house across from the farm- standing at the lot of our prospective building project

That's when Todd brought up the house across the street from the farm.  The house we looked at last summer was surprisingly still on the market and the price had been reduced.   We walked through it again the next day with new eyes.  We saw all the possibilities.  We walked through with the mindset of making some renovations (especially after all the research we did for building), and best of all,  knew we could make this happen sometime this summer (oh and it would cost much less:).

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind but we have a change a plans: we are not building, we are moving into a beautiful home that is less than 300 feet from where we were going to build.   We are so much more comfortable with this option and we are incredibly excited to be so close to family, school, and work.

Pretty front porch and columns at our new house

The last eight months of planning for a building project was not for loss.  God took us in a zig zag pattern to show us that He has a PERFECT plan.  It wouldn't have made sense to us last summer to purchase this house.

View from the front porch of the new house looking onto the lot where we would have built

However He used that time, even all our Pinterest conversations, to show us that He had something different yet better in mind.  He didn't say "no" to our dream, He just provided something different and equally exciting.  And I truly believe He was protecting us from a potential stressful situation.

It has been a relief to roll up the building plans (who knows, maybe it will happen years down the road), and I am thankful He took His time with us and lovingly showed us He cares about our dreams and the details.