Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!” … And God granted his request. (1 Chronicles 4:10)

Okay, folks. You know how much I love and respect scripture. But I couldn’t help myself; I had to have a little fun with the famous “Prayer of Jabez” passage.

As of 10:00 this morning the landscape on Elmwood Ct. will have changed considerably; our territory has been enlarged. The photo above represents the new Maul property line, and as you can see it involves two houses. My parents just closed on the house next door. That’s right, we have effectively “Maul-ed” one third of the cul-de-sac.

THE PARENTAL UNITS: One of the hardest parts about moving here last summer was the knowledge that we were leaving my parents in Florida. We included mum and dad in the conversation from the beginning, and they were 100% behind the decision; but we were all concerned about the “what-ifs” of 700-plus miles up the road.

When my parents flew in for a fall visit, they liked Wake Forest instantly. Not only did they enjoy the town, but they felt right at home at Wake Forest Presbyterian Church.

We were hoping that mum and dad would begin to think about relocating to the general Raleigh area. It didn’t surprise me when they told me they’d made the decision to make the move – but what happened next did…

MIRACLE! I’ll give you the short version. Here’s how it went:

1. When I first met our neighbors, back in August, they said they were tired of their commute into Raleigh and were thinking about moving sometime in the future.
2. In November, when my parents asked me to get a feel for what properties might fit their needs, I remembered the conversation I’d had with our neighbors.
3. I knocked on our neighbor’s door. I said, “Hi, I have three questions. First, do you have a downstairs master bedroom (nobody in Wake Forest has a downstairs master)?” he said yes. “Great. Second question; would you still like to move?” he said yes. “Okay. Third question; how about if my parents buy your house?”
4. We worked out the details.

Once we knew there was a downstairs master, moving next door was a no-brainer. As my dad said, “We could build a perfect home, all on one floor, maintenance-free, designed specifically for people in their 80’s, and put it on a lot just a couple of miles from Maul-Hall… But it would still place a distant second to being next door.”

DETAILS: Our neighbors didn’t want to relocate till the beginning of March, and my parents thought it would be nice to enjoy one last winter in Florida (smart move, it turns out!). They listed their Sarasota home in December to test the market. It sold the next week.

Again, here’s where it’s impossible not to think “providential.” The buyer didn’t want to move in till mid-March and gave my parents a zero cost lease through March 15.

I’ll fly down to Sarasota the second weekend of March, help load up, and then drive my parents to their new home.

So here we are, working our way around the cul-de-sac. Enlarging our territory. Naomi and Craig? Andrew and Alicia? What do you think?

Peace and blessings, hope and promise – DEREK

(the photos below are unrelated, but I thought you’d enjoy a few more snow pics from our winter storm!)