Years ago when Joel and I first got married, we decided to buy a home. We found a home that looked perfect for us. It was located on a beautiful lot in a neighborhood with other young families, and it had a swimming pool, something I always wanted. We made the best offer we could and prayed that the owners would accept it. Day after day went by, but we didn't hear anything. We kept speaking words of faith, declaring, "This is our house!" Unfortunately, the homeowners didn't accept our offer, and I was so disappointed. But right after we heard the news, I found another property that caught my attention. It was an old, run-down house on a beautiful lot in a nice neighborhood. It was actually abandoned with broken windows, no landscaping, and even had a scarecrow in the kitchen to keep the animals out. It didn't look like much, but deep down, I believed it was right for us—not based on how much sense it made in the natural, but based on the supernatural peace I had inside. We put a bid on that house, and sure enough, our offer was accepted.
Truthfully, I wasn't as excited about this house as I was the first one. It didn't have a swimming pool like I dreamed of; instead, it had crooked floors. The foundation was cracked, and some of the interior doors wouldn't close. I had to put blocks under my sofa just to keep it from leaning forward. Friends and family used to make jokes about those crooked floors, but I grew to love that house. I knew God gave us that house, so I wasn't going to look back and focus on what I didn't get.
We lived in that house for three years, and God blessed us beyond our wildest dreams. We ended up dividing our lot and selling half of it for the same price we originally paid for the entire piece of property.
Today, don't get stuck focusing on what didn't work out. Trust that God is guiding your steps. It may not make a lot of sense right now, but if you'll let go of what you had in mind, God can give you something better. If He can bless us through a crooked-floored house, there's no telling what He will do for you!
"No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead." (Philippians 3:13, NLT)