Big news to share! Our house sold! It was put under contract several weeks ago. One of the best features of our contract: our closing is in August after we’ve moved into our new home.

Did you hear that huge sigh of relief?! The thought of a double move was daunting. Now that I am deep in the midst of packing, I am sure that a double-move would have been a nightmare. I am so grateful to have been spared that complication.

YET, providing a great buyer and contract for our home isn’t all the Lord has done. He has also blessed me with two beautiful answers to prayer and I really want you to hear about it. (Spoiler warning: You’re gonna smile!)

Request 1: A Herald

When I began driving through neighborhoods, I quickly found myself overwhelmed at the fact that all of those new neighbors wouldn’t know our story. People would be curious but too polite to ask. The kids and I would want people to know but would get weary of retelling it. I was hoping for a herald to go ahead of us and tell our story so we didn’t have to.

So, I prayed, “Lord, would you please move us to a neighborhood where someone knows us and can just tell everyone our story so we don’t have to repeat it?”

Request 2: A Single Mom

This led to the next request, because I also was intimidated at the thought of moving into a new neighborhood as a single mom. We don’t fit the typical neighborhood equation anymore: husband + wife + kids. I would drive around neighborhoods and cringe at the thought of our family being different.

So, I prayed, “Lord, can you please move us into a neighborhood where someone else close by is a single mom?”

Those were super specific prayers, and HE DID IT!!

I have a friend who lives in the front of our new neighborhood, and she has already told everyone our story. What a blessing and relief! Gotta love having super extroverted friends!

And that same friend told me that my new next door neighbor is a single mom. When she told me her name, I was shocked! Because my new neighbor is a friend from church! What a blessing! It is going to be so fun to have her as my neighbor.

Isn’t the Lord so incredibly good? Honestly, I haven’t stopped smiling at how He has encouraged me and affirmed this move. It keeps me going in the midst of packing.

I have been shy to share our news because I wanted to make it through the hurdles that are part of every contract, and those are behind us now. My hesitation to share has reminded me of something I learned early on in life when John and I were expecting our first baby. We wondered if we should spread the news or wait, since lots can go wrong early on in a pregnancy.

We realized that in life, we simply have to enjoy the joy of each day. A million things can go wrong with any moment of joy- either the next day or far into the future. The only thing that’s for sure is the joy the Lord has given you today. So savor it. Celebrate it!

It became a regular saying around our household: enjoy the joy!

May you also savor the joys that each day brings- as simple as a beach sunrise or as stunning as a new baby in your arms. Savor and rejoice over the goodness that each day brings- one day at a time.

Thank you for letting me share our joy.

Packing & Smiling,

Maria