I mentioned last time that our would-be condo buyers backed out. I did not mention that we decided not to let them have their earnest money back. Why? Because they cost us thousands of dollars in extra mortgage payments, not to mention the few hundred we spent completing unnecessary repairs that they asked for as conditions of the sale. Later we found out that recent laws have tilted the real estate game almost completely in favor of the buyers. Short story is, we had no legal way to keep it. We could, however, deny sending it back right away until it is returned automatically after 120 days.
Time passed. They threatened mitigation, to which we scoffed that they may as well since they get to pay for it. Then we asked if they'd at least pay for the items we completed, and at first they agreed only to flip-flop later and deny it. I was hurt and angry and I wanted them to suffer a little for the grief their carelessness has caused us (and in case I seem narrow-minded about that, consider the fact that their realtor has refused to keep working with them and fired them as his client). I was unforgiving, and eventually started to wonder what God would have me do.
Then early this week, I talked with my husband about it. I said "Maybe it's a test." I wondered if we won't be able to sell until we just decide to forgive them and send back the money.
So we did.
And what do you know, the next day I went to an interview and got a job offer the day after that. Not just any job, but one that (unadvertised) is 20 hours a week to start and is ideally suited to me right now, and the commute puts my son's daycare right in my path so I can drop him off easily on the way in while having enough time to be a mommy in the afternoons and Fridays just like before I was laid off. In other words, perfect.
Did God orchestrate the timing of all this just to prove a point? It's hard not to think so -- it's exactly the way I've seen God work in my life before. I'm seriously grateful no matter what.
Haven't gotten another offer on the condo yet, but we still haven't reached our informal deadline either. I'm just gonna be patient and wait it out.
