Home Inspection Day

A couple of days ago, I told you we signed a counter-offer on the darling house we found ourselves in love with, and we had to have an inspection done on the house before we could move forward with the next steps.

As most of you probably know, Ryan and I are both a little too OCD for our own good, and my part of it has manifested itself in the creation of a binder JUST for this adventure. My printer and three hole punch have become my best friend since we committed to this house, and preparing for inspection day brought both out in full force.

We had been told we were allowed {and encouraged} to be present for the inspection, and the homeowners would be gone. I made a thorough list of everything I wanted to take pictures of {because, hello!!! I took none on our first walk-through} and everything I wanted to measure. I knew that if everything worked out the way we hoped it would, and this house did become ours, this day would be my last chance to step foot inside before it became ours, so I was a future-homeowner-with-a-purpose.

The morning of the inspection, we woke up to snow and conditions that made the idea of travel somewhat {okay, entirely} terrifying for this girl. Ryan drove to work and told me he thought I could make it, but I should be careful. I sat in full-on sobs on the couch, visions of car accidents dancing in my head and trying to determine if getting to check off my list was worth the risk of driving over on questionable roads.

I decided to be a big girl and try, and with hands firmly gripping the wheel at 10 and 2, I set out for the new house. You guys, Indiana is so ridiculous when it comes to weather. I left home with 100% cloudy skies, snow, drifts blowing over the road, and all around nastiness. Halfway to Kokomo, the skies were 100% blue, not a flake of snow flew through the sky, the blowing went back to being invisible, and the day could be classified as splendid. IN TWENTY MINUTES!

I picked up Ryan at work, and we drove to the house. We knew the inspector should already be there and we were planning to be present just for the second half of the process. He met us at the door, let us inside, and nodded for Ryan to join him in the kitchen for their inspection chat. He nodded at me and said, "the homeowners are in there."

I looked "in there" and saw the two homeowners sitting on their couch looking wildly uncomfortable, as though they had been relegated to a time-out in their own home. I hugged my three ring binder to myself and swallowed initial feelings of disappointment in knowing I could not very well flit about the house taking pictures and measuring to check off all my items with them sitting right there.

Instead, I walked over with my hand extended, introduced myself, and decided to make friends.

And that's how it happened that for the next hour, I sat on the loveseat, opposite them on the couch, pausing now and then to pet the dog when she ran by, learning all the things they loved about the house and sharing our own dreams with them.

I won't relay the entire conversation with you, but I will tell you my favorite part:

The wife said to me, "We were so discouraged about this house selling. People came through and didn't like this or didn't like that, and we wondered if it was ever going to sell or if we were just going to miss out on the house we wanted. We wrote it down and put it in the prayer basket at church, and right after that, you made your offer."

I cannot tell you what a joy fell over my soul at the realization that we have the incredible privilege of being someone's answer to prayer. I mean seriously - have you ever thought about that before? When I think about our own house and how we're praying for someone to buy it, I think about how profoundly thankful we will be for that person. How we will always think of them as our answer to prayer. And even before we get that opportunity, we have the even greater opportunity to BE someone's answer to prayer.

That is a beautiful feeling.

Ryan got done talking with the inspectors and joined me while these homeowners shared their love for this house, the details of all they had done, and the excitement for their own home-to-come.

We left a little over an hour after we arrived, and not one thing in my three-ring-binder had been checked off. Although they willingly offered us freedom to walk through and do whatever we needed, I took exactly one picture {of a bathroom, no less} and measured two things, I think. But what I gained in exchange was so much greater.

A home is a personal place, isn't it? Not just a house, but a home. This couple has lovingly cared for and invested in this home for the last fourteen years. And their hard work showed. The inspectors found nothing alarming, and furthermore, they told Ryan they were impressed with how well it had been maintained.

We loved that about these owners. They had cared for their home with love and integrity because it was more than just a house to them, and their choice would turn around to bless us. It's the same way we have cared for our own house and hope to bless someone else with that choice we made. It was a pleasure to be on the receiving end of such a gift.

When we left the house that day, we left with joy, because again, this whole thing was about so much more than just buying a fun new house. It was about carrying on a legacy begun by someone else, long before we were in the picture.

It was about being an answer to prayer, which feels even better than receiving an answer to prayer.

Like I said. This journey has roots that extend far beyond buying a house.