One Hundred Houses

We left our house in Maine in February, 2010.  It was the nicest house we had ever owned.  Its spacious living and dining room allowed us to have large groups in our home, an advantage when you are the pastor.  Large picture windows let in the sunlight and allowed a view of the lawn and woods that surrounded us.  From the bedroom window, we could catch a glimpse of the Penobscot River.  It even had a garage, something we have lived without during most of our adult lives. 

I especially loved that house at Christmas, when I draped the living room in lighted garlands.  The hardwood floors gleamed and reflected the candles and Christmas lights.  Outside, the snow reminded me that Christ came to cleanse us from our sins and make us as white as snow.  

But God is so gracious.  When He called us into this itinerant ministry, I knew the house had to go.  It was not a hard decision.  I knew God provided the house especially for the task of caring for Charlie’s aging father.  It was perfect for that task.  Not only was it ideally suited to someone with limited mobility, it’s beauty refreshed my spirit at those times when I needed God’s reminder that He would strengthen me to my daily tasks.  But it was a house specifically given for a specific time, and that time had come to an end.

When Jesus spoke to his disciples about the things they would be called to give up, he told them that any one who left his house or family for His sake would receive one hundred times that both in this life and in the life to come.  I began thinking about all the places we’ve stayed in the time since we sold our house.  While we have not yet attained to a hundred houses, it is not hard for me to believe that before we’re done with deputation, we will have lived in a hundred houses, many of them much nicer than we would ever be able to afford. 



Searsport, ME

Today I thought I’d begin the counting and see how far we’ve come.  In some we’ve only stayed a night or two.  In others we’ve stayed a week.  In still others, it’s been several months.  In all of them, though, we have been so grateful for God’s provision of a house for us.  Generally speaking, wherever we’ve gone, we’ve either been given complete run of the house while the owners are gone or we’ve been included into their lives and treated like family.  In either case, the feeling is “Mi casa es su casa,”or “My house is your house.” 
So here goes. 

The view from the porch in Madawaska

1. The raised ranch in Hampden, ME.  After we sold our house, people in our church were gracious enough to grant us the use of their home while they wintered in Florida.
2. The FROG (finished room over the garage) in Glenburn, ME. 
3. The three-bedroom trailer in Searsport, ME. 
4. The cleanest house I’ve ever seen in Madawaska, ME.    
5. The IPM mission house in Hanover, PA.
6. My parents’ home in LaFayette, GA.   

   

   View from balcony, Dominican Republic

7. The sundrenched home in Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic where our gracious hosts gave us the beautiful master bedroom during our stay. 
8. A prophets’ chamber at a church in Hanover, PA.
9. The spacious townhome in Atlanta, GA.



Gulf Shores

10. The beach condo in Gulf Shores, AL, furnished with all my family.
11. The resort condo in Southwest Harbor, ME.
12. The 1940’s house in NC
13. The U-shaped house in Greenville, SC. 
14. The hunting trophy house in Starr, SC.
15. The plantation-style house in Charleston, SC.
16. The lake home in Leesburg, FL where I sat in the sunroom, enjoying watching God's creation.  Sunset reflected in its waters.  The great blue heron flying in for a landing.  An alligator basking in the sunshine.
17. The third-floor condo in Bradenton, FL, with a balcony overlooking the golf course.
18. The prophet's chamber in Southington, CT, where I could listen in on college classes happening just outside the door.
19. The bustling townhouse in Woodbridge, VA, overflowing with active (yet well-behaved) boys.
20. The log cabin with a view of the the fishing pond in Winchester, VA.
21. The doctor’s house in Leesville, LA. "Is there a doctor in the house?"  Well, yes.  In fact, there are two!  As a result, Charlie received some very helpful advice while we were there.
22. Venezuela memories house in Houston, TX.
23. The desert guest house with a view of Mt. Graham, AZ
24. A brightly-lit golf course townhome in Tucson, AZ
25. The farm house in Spencer, IA, where a friendly horse greeted us.
26. The split level home in Minneapolis, MN, where nutritious, organic meals were served daily.
27. The energy-efficient, below-grade house in Boy River, MN.
28. The ivy-covered brick manse in Wheaton, IL.   

    

    Guatemala villa

29. The hill-top villa in Cerro Alto, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, with a wrap around balcony to take in the million-dollar views.
30. The bison farm house in Franklinville, NY, where college memories abounded.



Machiasport view

31. The room with the view on the bluffs of the bay in Machiasport, ME.
32. The second floor prophet’s chamber in Orono, ME.

Okay, so we’re not quite to 100.  But since this only covers a little more than a year, it will not be difficult to see how God would grant us 100 houses before we’re done. (If you would like to add your house to this list let us know!)

Ah, you say, but these aren’t your houses.  True.  But neither was “our” beautiful house in Hampden actually ours.  The deed may have been in our name, but it certainly was not ours.  It was simply on loan to us from God for the time we needed it.  It was His house.  We were simply the caretakers.