Sometimes I stay up super late just because I loved the day so much, and I don't want it to end. This week, Tuesday (August 4, 2009) was one of those days. :-)
That evening at 6 PM (the Feast of St. John Vianney!), I settled on the purchase of my first home!
I bought it from a wonderful Catholic man whose outward expressions of faith made this experience a very meaningful and spiritual one for me!
Truly, St. Anthony did find me the home of my dreams because the seller's name was under St. Anthony's patronage, sharing his name!
And it seemed like divine providence that his last name should be "Maydwell," the same words I was uttering in prayer, as I prayed, "Dear Lord, if it be Your will that I may dwell in this home, please show me!"
And He definitely did.
I knew from the moment I first stepped into that house with my real estate agent in early June that I was going to own it. I knew this with 100% certainty. Even in the days and weeks following, when I tried to doubt, I couldn't. What an incredibly affirming feeling. It could not be shaken, no matter how much I tried.
This wasn't the arrogant kind of certainty; it was the quiet, understanding kind, the sort that makes you keep your mouth sealed because something beautiful has been revealed to you.
So how did I know and feel this? I knew it the moment I walked in the door because the first thing I saw upon entering was a statue of my patron, St. Catherine Laboure. My heart was instantly warmed.
The second thing I saw immediately upon entering the house was a beautiful icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help! My Heavenly Mother truly had gone before me! And how ironic because my earthly mother was the first to ever point this house out to me!
As I walked through the house with my real estate agent, I saw beautiful statues and relics of the saints, crucifixes, rosaries, medals, and many things which beckoned me to walk joyfully from room to room. Based on his decorating style which is so like my own, I felt like I was already living there.
For 8 years I have driven past this little home, always wishing that I could live there. It is right across the street from the Catholic Church I like to visit after school, and it is only a short bike ride to the school that I teach at. Technically, if I wanted to, I could come home to play with the doves on my lunch break! :-)
Two years ago this house came up for sale. My wonderful mother, who manages to find me all the important things in life (my first job, my first home, etc.), recommended it to me immediately.
But because it was well out of my price range at that time, I told her I didn't even want to step foot in it. To see it but then not be able to afford it would be torturous!
The little house eventually sold, and in the years that passed since then, I regretted not looking inside. It was so cute from the outside and so perfectly located!
But God was working His divine plan. The house was to be enjoyed by Anthony first. And, as time passed and my salary increased, God introduced Anthony to his future wife and then made the house available to me when I could finally afford it!
But I didn't realize this at the time.
One day, in mid-May, my wonderful friend Shawn introduced me to a beautiful green piano that needed a home. I blogged all about it, of course. But the piano could not live with me, since my apartment is on a second story floor. The only way I could live with it would be if I had a first-story living room, and the only way to get that--short of moving apartments--would be to buy a house. Gulp!
So I told my relator I was ready to start looking again. It had been 2 years since I had last made an offer on a home. This time, I explained, I was ready to be less picky. I was willing to expand my search, both in location and style of home.
Little did I realize, at the same time I was celebrating my 30th birthday on the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (May 31st), noting the fact that Christ began his public ministry at the same age and wondering how I would do the same thing (not realizing that He would show me this by allowing me to live in the same town that I teach at, thus making my mission even more public), the little house I had been watching all those years was about to come up for sale.
Indeed, on my very birthday, the paperwork was being processed, and on the very next day (June 1st), the little home had a "For Sale" sign in the yard.
Only two days would pass before my eyes would catch a glimpse of that sign. It happened on June 3rd, the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Letter. How interesting that it should be another Marian feast day!
I had just looked another house in Lititz with my realtor, and--as I drove back to my classroom to finish my evening work--I distinctively remember driving over the crest of a hill, knowing that the little gray house would soon be in view, and wishing again (as always) to myself, "Oh, if only there would be a sale sign in that yard!"
But then there WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally!!
When I finally saw the sale sign, I remember sitting there in my car, staring happily out the window, completely smitten and in love! I couldn't take my eyes off it! I sat there for such a very long while!!
The story of this home purchase is quite a beautiful one. I shall spare you from repeating the things I said in my June 24th blog, but of course, I could say them all again with the same enthusiasm! God's orchestration is amazing. I feel so fortunate. Because I bought a home in this particular year, our president will be giving me $8,000 cash as a thank-you that doesn't need to be paid back! Incredible.
So, on the day of settlement, just before I went to the table, my parents, realtor, and I did a walk-through of the property. And, as you can see from the picture of the side of the house, the seller left this beautiful state of St. Joseph and Baby Jesus for me! It appeared unexpectedly on the lawn, right by the kitchen door! Incredible. And yet the seller had no idea that I just recently prayed a novena to St. Joseph in the hopes of successfully buying this house!
I'm astounded when I think about the fact that Jesus is my Neighbor, truly present in the tabernacle in St. James Catholic Church! Now I will merely have to walk across the street for Mass! (But certainly not for a cup of sugar!)
My real estate agent (Jay Kiralfy) is a wonderful man. He's spent his whole life putting roofs over people's heads. Before he went into real estate, he helped homeless people find places to live. I am lucky to have worked with such a good person!
On the day that the seller accepted my offer, Mom and Dad surprised me with a lovely cake! It looks just like the little house, doesn't it? The 4 bushes in the front, the brick pathway, and even the lights beside the door all look so realistic!
When my mortgage application got approved, they surprised me with yet another cake! Thank you for believing in me, Sovereign Bank! God is so Sovereign Himself, and He certainly orchestrated this whole thing!
I love that my little house is the prototype drawn by pre-school and kindergarten children everywhere! It's a basic square with a triangle on top, and two windows on either side of the door!
The deck is as big as the house! The summer is not over yet, so I hope to throw a few parties on it!
I always wanted to put a statue of Mary in the garden of my first home. Who knew that my first home would come with a statue of her already in place!
And in my first home, I always told myself that I would make a little prayer room "chapel" of sorts. But now I don't have to do that because a real church is directly across the street! Wow!
The seller left so many nice things for me! He left a beautiful and large crucifix on the living room wall (which I later learned was given to him by Father Jackson, a favorite priest at my parish who has since passed away), a big grill, trashcans, a lawn mower, a weed whacker, a saw, rakes, brooms, other lawn equipment, and plenty of saint statues! He even let me buy his wonderful deck set and his snow thrower.
Here we are together, just after finishing paperwork at the settlement table! Anthony is handing me the key to the house, and each of us are standing with our real estate agents!
Back at Grandmom's house, my family surprised me with a second party! I thought we had just celebrated with a delicious dinner before we left for the attorney's office. But when I got home, it was time to party again! Above the chandelier was a star-shaped balloon that said "Congratulations!" Aunt Tess & Uncle Fred gave me a beautiful arrangement of flowers. Mom baked sand tart cookies in the shape of little houses! There was a bottle of Verdi Spumanti for a toast, and Mom and Dad had given me a yellow clothes basket full of yellow cleaning products, since I love the color so much!
It was an incredible, will-never-forget-this kind of day!! I am astounded by how faithful and fruitful this whole experience was. Thanks to the faith and generosity of the seller, buying my first home was a spiritual experience!
