After two long tedious shifts at the hospital, I should have gone home for rest. But I didn’t.

I drove to the construction site. The hardware should not be installed in the doors yet, so it should be an easy in. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. The construction of the neighborhood adjacent to my childhood home was my training ground. My dad offered a master class in trespassing and I was a star pupil. Locks don’t keep my kind out: unless you have a guardhouse at your gated community or Dobermans, I’ll find a way in.

I was most curious to see what the rain was doing to the property. The storm was suppose to drop several inches of rain in an afternoon – a perfect way to see what happens in these situations. As a permaculturist – gardening the way God intended – my foundation is built on what the land does. I need to know how the land acts in its native state, without any human input. I got word “final grading” was finished, so I was eager to see where the Lord directed the water runoff.

I was not disappointed: everything appeared as it should, except for the small steam that welled up out of the ground on the west side of the dwelling – duly noted. I won’t fight it, but I will keep that in mind when I put in my plants. I have plans for a tea forest there.

While the house is not officially mine, I am under contract on it. I’m not suppose to be inside per insurance laws, but no one was around to remind me of that. I was chasing twilight, as the shadows of the short days of winter quickly snuffed out the little sunlight that managed through the storm clouds.

I couldn’t help but think how appropriate that was for my phase of life right now.

There’s no power or water to this house that we’ve affectionately refer to as Oakhaven. We act like we are English nobility by naming all our houses. My tour was powered by the flashlight mode on my phone. The countertops, sinks, tile, and toilets have all been installed and I am pleased so far. No appliances, no lighting yet. The pounding rain echoed loudly in our kitchen/dining/living room. I stood there for a long moment, taking in all the ambience and gazing at the forest which borders our property. I envisioned all the people we will host in our new home – from old friends I consider family to the people we haven’t met yet – and all those that fall somewhere in between.

How will the Lord use this house for His Glory? I’m excited to find out.

I found myself wishing I had somewhere to sit.

The driving rain reminded me of how this journey began. It was a stormy night at dusk and I was in my office back in Wilmington, burning time before heading home. A quick internet search revealed a property we had our eye on in the greater Raleigh area was going to be released soon. I clicked the link for a random real estate agent to inquire. It’s hard to believe we’ve been working with this lady for almost a year. While we ended up backing out of that deal, we found this place.

I’m told we’ll be clear to close before Valentine’s Day – far earlier than I imagined. I am beyond ready to get out of my temporary housing situation and have a full functioning kitchen again.

The house grows darker and the chill arrives as the night sets in: it’s my cue to head back to the rental house for food and jammies.

Someday soon this will be home.