The Open House Olympics
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” — Philippians 4:6
There are a few things in life that will truly test your faith, your patience, your marriage, your tongue, your emotional stability, and whether your family actually likes you.
One of them is selling a house.
I am currently living through it again, and let me tell you something: HGTV has lied to us all.
Because what they don’t show you is the woman sprinting through the house 11 minutes before a showing with a laundry basket full of random junk whisper-screaming, “Why are there seven water bottles in the living room?” while simultaneously lighting a candle, fluffing pillows, hiding evidence of children, and threatening everyone in the family not to touch a single surface until further notice
.
It’s spiritual warfare with Windex.
What’s funny is how personal selling a home feels.
You look at your house and see memories.
You see the kitchen where everybody gathered.
The backyard where your kids played.The room where the Lord met you in your hardest season.
The little details you love that nobody else notices.
And then strangers walk through your house for approximately 22 minutes and leave comments like:
“The land isn’t flat enough.”
“The bedrooms feel small.”
“The drainage concerns me.”
Sir... That drainage has never once affected my life emotionally the way this comment has.
You spend weeks making your home look like nobody has ever actually lived there. Which is especially impressive if you have children, because children can destroy a clean house faster than a raccoon with opposable thumbs.
And somewhere between scrubbing baseboards like Cinderella and panic-cleaning pool decks in 97-degree Texas heat, I realized something:
This process has brought out both the best and worst in me.
I have prayed.
I have cried.
I have snapped at my husband.
I have lost patience with my kids.
I have texted my mom and friends saying, “Please remind me to act saved.” :)
And honestly?
The last couple of weeks, I have not handled all of it beautifully.
But maybe that’s part of the lesson too.
Because seasons like this expose what’s really going on inside of us.
The waiting.
The uncertainty.
The lack of control.
The constant wondering:
What if it doesn’t sell?
What if we made the wrong decision?
What if God’s timing feels slower than mine?
Selling a house has a way of uncovering every anxious thought you didn’t know was still hiding in the corners.
And this morning, while wiping down counters for the hundredth time and preparing for another showing, I found myself asking the Lord: What are You trying to teach me here?
I don’t know if I fully have the answer yet.
But I do know this:
God cares far more about the condition of my heart than the condition of my floors.
And somewhere in the chaos, the pressure, the waiting, and the disappointment, there is fruit being produced.
Patience.
Surrender.
Humility.
Dependence.
Hopefully not bitterness.
Hopefully not emotional instability sponsored by Zillow.
But fruit nonetheless.
Sometimes the hardest seasons are also the ones doing the deepest work in us.
Not every season feels meaningful while you’re in it.
Sometimes it just feels exhausting.
Sometimes obedience looks less like a mountaintop moment and more like quietly choosing not to lose your mind while folding towels before a showing.
But even here,
God is present.
Even here,
He is faithful.
And maybe that’s the reminder I needed today:
Be anxious for nothing.
Pray about everything.
Trust His timing more than my own.
Also, if anyone would like to buy a beautifully clean home from a woman hanging on by prayer and paper towels, please let me know.
My Prayer:
Lord, thank You for meeting us in the stressful seasons, not just the beautiful ones.
Thank You for caring about the details we bring to You, even the ones that feel small or overwhelming.
Help us guard our words, our attitudes, and our hearts when life feels uncertain.
Teach us to trust Your timing when we want immediate answers.
Produce good fruit in us during the waiting, and remind us that peace is found in Your presence, not in perfect circumstances.
And Lord, please help us not lose our salvation over one more house showing.
Amen.
Reflection Question
What season in your life is currently testing your patience, faith, or trust in God — and what kind of fruit do you think He may be trying to grow through it?
