Process

Now that my husband and I finally agree about moving, what is the Process by which we can make this change happen? How did Abraham do it in the Bible? I made a note to reread the story of Abraham’s journey out of Ur. I have a feeling Ur was a little like Westchester County, New York. As I began to seriously contemplate moving out of a house that I had lived in a very long time there were a lot of things to do.

First and foremost, I wanted to make sure that I was going to make this move as a godly Christian woman ought to. That means that prayer was essential and sincerely seeking God’s path out of this place the goal. Honesty, patience, and other Christian virtues need to predominate my Process. 

I have seen many a sensible friend become absolutely unhinged in the process of buying or selling their home. Their emotions were up and down with every new development in their real estate process. They spent huge amounts of time angry and stressed out. Angry with their real estate agent, the prospective buyer or even about the weather. I know that the best way to avoid this is by keeping God central to the Process. Didn’t Abraham? 

But would we seriously move out of Westchester County without considering an inter-county move first? The reason that I say that is because we love our church very much. We love our Pastor, and the stalwart group of christian soldiers that make up that group of remnant believers. There are many special people there that I would pack and take along with me if I could.

So, we started to look for homes that were in close proximity to our church. Since our church is located further away from New York City than our current house, we were hoping that the house prices would reflect that. But, all the normal rules of Westchester County real estate have changed since Wuhan took Manhattan.      

Throngs of people desperate to escape the virus and its’ aftermath left the island of Manhattan and its’ neighbor Brooklyn and made a beeline straight for Westchester County and its’ environs. The market was hot, hot, hot. Prices soared amid this panic. There were a number of cases of people who bought houses sight unseen after a video tour of the house. 

Lines of socially distant people cued up for homes that were on the market. With their masks, hand-sanitizers and bank letters in hand they were ready for business. As a result, many bidding wars ensued making for insane money being spent on mere hovels on busy streets. It instantly became a sellers market and people who thought they would never unload their distressed properties suddenly found that they were in the money. Fortunes were being made for retirees who had not saved a dime and felt rewarded for this bad behavior.

I poured out my heart to God everyday in prayer as we started our relocation process. I told our Heavenly Father that I wanted the plans that he had for us. I wanted the place that He wanted for us. And, I wanted to acknowledge Him continually as we went on this journey. I was afraid of change but, I wanted to be more like Abraham. Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you- Genesis 12:1.

I remember the thoughts that I have had over the years, as I examined Abraham’s story. I wondered how someone could have the kind of faith that would allow them to leave everything that they knew and go to a destination that they did not yet know. Did I have that kind of faith? How do we make godly decisions as we look for a new home? 

We became acquainted with the various real estate portals. I would identify various properties that I liked or that I thought that my husband would like. We would then discuss the pros and cons of each property. This clarified what things we were both looking for and culminated in our property wish list.      

During this time of house hunting,, many changes were occurring in the State of New York. The talk of tax increases were constant. The philosophy behind increasing taxes in one of the most taxed counties in the United States seemed punitive. Punitive towards those who had worked hard, saved money and bought homes. It seemed hostile to those who had worked and struggled to build this county and make it thrive. 

But, the tide had turned and people in this county now endorsed this Marxist personal property downgrade. As a result, houses in my county are over-priced, with a hefty and ever-growing tax bill. That does not even include the increased regulations on every facet of owning a Westchester home that result in constant permit payments and inspections for the most ridiculous things.  

Then, there is the spiritual element. Westchester County, is now Manhattan north. The encroaching Babylon has made life very difficult for believers in this County. I have seen more and more people hostile to the things of God then ever before.This is mission territory. However, since the events of the pandemic have unfolded, a hard-heartedness seems to have overtaken the area. 

When the people of Westchester County were faced with their own mortality they became like a pack of rats. It was and still is not pretty. Our Lord taught us, that we would know people by the fruit they produced in their life. With that standard in mind, it is pretty clear that Christian values are dead here. Is that what Ur was like when Abraham left it?  I have often wondered. After leaving Ur, Abraham camped outside of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He somehow managed to escape the evil vortex that entrapped his nephew Lot and his family by keeping close to God and far away from sin. 

In the process of our life, we will often have to step out in faith. But, what is the source of our faith? Is it ourselves alone, popular opinion or is it the Lord, God Almighty? For Abraham, with all the ups and downs, twists and turns of his life, he trusted in the Lord. After he left his home in Ur, Abraham lived in a tent for the rest of his life. When we ask God to bless us in whatever process we happen to be in, we can be certain that God will be with us. We can not be certain that everything will turn out the way that we thought it would, or wished it would. If we trust in God, everything will fall into place no doubt the way it really should.