March 10, 2021 – Click here to listen
So yesterday we finally got the Certificate of Occupancy (CO) for our new home. We signed the contract to buy this home back in August and were assured that it would be completed and we could move in by early November.
Boink! That didn’t happen. And all this time I have been paying rent, and storage fees for our furniture and that has amounted to tens of thousands of dollars wasted.
Building in the Florida Keys today is measured in years – Not months. Finding competent craftsman is all but impossible and dealing with the bureaucrats and a regulation happy county is an exercise in near futility. Somehow though, through much prayer and an honest attempt at some semblance of patience we have been able to maneuver through the morass of obstacles and are finally ready to close – At least that is the hope. The closing is scheduled to occur early next week and as soon as that occurs, we can move in, and call me cynical but I’m not holding my breath.
Once the home is closed there is the problem of moving in. Our new home sits on an island that is only accessible by crossing three bridges which have all recently been condemned and are under extreme reconstruction. All three bridges have load limits for the next 18 months and the one that leads to my house is just 3 tons. The moving trucks weigh 13 tons and cannot cross. So I found a guy who claims he can load the two moving trucks on a barge and bring them over to our peninsula. So I scheduled him for Tuesday of next week.
Boink! Not going to happen!
We were setup to move next week but the moving company in Jupiter Florida is in a state of turmoil and we are now being told they cannot move us until the 22nd. When we called the moving company, we discovered that the owner who was just 39 years old was tragically killed on a four wheeler when he ran head-on into a tree. We knew this young man well because he moved us twice before. He was a really nice and likable person and we shared a love of the outdoors and hunting and it is such a shame that his life ended at such a young age.
Wow! That put my problems into perspective. During this entire process I have been depressed, frustrated, angry, you name it, but when I consider the death of our friend and the loss to his young family my problems seemed to fade into insignificance.
As I reflect upon our friends death it is much easier to be patient as opposed to the entirety of the misfortune of this process. When I was young and stupid my expectations were that before I reached 25 years old, I was going to die a violent death alone in the streets without anyone so much as knowing. Since becoming a Christian I have been transformed into a new creature and God has blessed me with eternal hope and joy. Now I try my utmost to reflect on my present blessings of which I have plenty and not on my misfortunes of which all mankind has some. Basically when I face tough trials, I desire to stop trying to calm the storm and calm myself. The storm will pass and the sun will shine again. And if I pray when it rains be assured, I need to keep praying when the sun shines. Remaining steadfast during trials is not easy, but the key is to focus on your blessings and God’s love through thick and thin.
James 1:12
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.