All is well

We received an offer to buy our house today. Before you jump out of your chair or give a whoop of excitement on our behalf, let us stop you; doing so would be a bit premature. Read on for the whole story.

Our Realtor informed us late Saturday afternoon that the offer was coming, so we spent the next 24 hours full of happy anticipation. This morning before church we combed the real estate listings our Colorado Springs agent had sent us. We plotted the homes on a map, printed out school report cards, and looked up LDS meetinghouses. We alerted our parents to the news and started making plans for a house-hunting trip later this week. After church, as we still waited for the offer, I made a celebratory dinner and Texas sheet cake (Garry's favorite). When the cake turned out weird and lumpy, we should have been forewarned.

The offer finally arrived...and it was terribly disappointing. It was the mother of all low-ball offers, so low that we weren't even tempted to swing. We quickly decided on a firm counter offer, kind of a take-it-or-leave-it offer that we fully expect the person will leave.

All in all, it was kind of a sad situation.

In the wake of this news, Garry headed out to Stake Priesthood Meeting. I knew it was important for him to attend the meeting, but I really wanted him to stay and hash out our real estate drama. Garry dutifully went to his meeting, and I followed through with dinner, scriptures, and bedtime with the kids.

All was calm and quiet when Garry returned around 8:30. He was unusually serious and wanted to talk. He then shared a beautiful spiritual experience he had during the closing hymn, which was "Come, Come Ye Saints." The hymn was written in 1846 by William Clayton as he traveled West with the Mormon pioneers. Its lyrics are as follows:

Come, Come ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
'Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell--
All is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell--
All is well! All is well!

We'll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We'll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we'll tell--
All is well! All is well!

And should we die before our journey's through,
Happy day! All is well.
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell--
All is well! All is well!

"Come, Come Ye Saints" has always symbolized to me the journey the pioneers took and the sacrifices they made. Tonight, however, the hymn became a very personal, poignant promise that the Lord is mindful of our little family as we struggle to follow His plan for us. As Garry sang this hymn with a congregation full of his priesthood brethren, he had the overwhelming assurance that we don't need to worry about what the future holds; we need to find joy in this journey. God will not forsake us. He has literally prepared a place for us in Colorado Springs and He will help us find it when the time is right. Soon we will shout His praises and say, "all is well."

So tonight we are grateful that Garry was obedient and attended his meeting. We are grateful for a learning experience that has already taught us important lessons. We are grateful for the simple ways that the Lord communicates through the Holy Ghost when we are willing to listen. And we are grateful for the knowledge that God is watching over us, directing our paths, and keeping us safe.

Please enjoy the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing "Come, Come Ye Saints," a wonderful hymn about hope, joy, and peace.