My Ebenezers: Part III A Place to Live

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us." 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. I Samuel 7:12

When Elissa and I got married we lived in a small upstairs apartment in a house in Marion. It was a nice little place to start off in, but after a year and a half of living there the owner sold the house and the new owner needed the upstairs space for their family. So Elissa and I started looking for another place to live. We soon realized that we were absolutely BLESSED to have only paid $350 a month for rent in that apartment. As were looking around we found some other places and got a place reserved for $575 a month, not including utilities. Though the place was reserved, we were not locked into the deal and I wasn't entirely satisfied so one day while I was driving down the road I prayed, "Lord, would you be so gracious as to provide another place for us for $350, and it would be really cool if it had a fire place." I remember that it wasn't in any demanding way and knowing the prices of apartments I doubted there were any places out there anyway, but I simply put the request out there.

A few days later we were spending our weekly euchre time with dear friends, when the husband out of the blue said, "I have the place for you guys. But you need to call now because I think they have some other people coming to look at it." So we called his friends and went to check out the apartment. When we walked in there was a HUGE kitchen area (I could literally touch both walls of our previous kitchen if I stretched out my arms), a HUGE living room area, a small bedroom, a bathroom and a fireplace. After looking it over the wife of the landlord said, "We were thinking $350 a month, is that too much?"

For some reason I said, "Elissa and I will talk about it and let you know." I think we got to the end of their driveway before we called them back and said, "We'll take it." Thank the Lord! Not only did the Lord graciously give us a place for $350 a month and a fireplace, but the Landlords became our friends and the wife was a grandmother figure for Joshua. We also had 80+ acres to run around on!

This is one of my Ebenezers. Just a reminder that God cares and the little details of our lives, and is able to give us much more than we ask or imagine. ( My point is NOT that he our Sugar Daddy and will answer our every desire, whim or request, just that he cares and wants to bless his children the way I want to bless my boys!)