The Flog – The Fabry Log

Sometimes things make sense and you feel like God is really in control. Other times he is, but you don't feel that way. Sunday, 1/18, I knew he was looking out for us and others.

At church, I saw a friend who asked how things were going and wanted to know what she could do to help. I told her there was a lot of furniture in our home that we needed to give away, and then I needed to clean the rental house, have the carpets cleaned, etc. She said, "I have a couple of ladies who will come over, clean out your refrigerator, etc. You just tell us when to be there."

That was very nice of them and I felt excited that we had the ball moving. But I was still worried about the furniture. I don't want to store it and leave a trail behind us. The only things we really need are our mattresses and a desk or two for the computer stuff. So after church, Ryan and I brought up end tables and the foosball table we were given. People let us have couches and chairs and soon our rental home was fully furnished.

While I watched the Arizona/Philadelphia game (Yay Cardinals!), Ryan went to a friend's house for dinner. I kept going through the inventory of the house, wondering if Goodwill would take it all, again overwhelmed at the thought of people coming by and taking one table or a few chairs, and having to schedule when I could be here to help them.

Ryan called. "Dad, you know how I told you this family is moving into a house in February? Well, I think they need some furniture."

I talked with the mom and they came over to look at it. This family moved to Colorado from the east coast to work with Youth With A Mission. They basically left all their worldly goods back there and exist on the meager support of their church and friends. They are renting a townhouse now, with very little furniture, and they've been content.

A few weeks ago a couple approached them and asked if they wanted to buy their house. That couple is moving to South Carolina. The family looked at the house and immediately knew there was no way. They couldn't afford the monthly payment.

"Think about it," the owner said.

What was to think about? They couldn't afford it.

The owner came back to them later and said, "What if you paid exactly what you pay now for your rent on the townhouse?"

"How can you do that?"

"We know you are the ones who need to be in that house," the owner said.

So they agreed. However, walking down this new road brings another question. How can they furnish a big house? They decided to cross that bridge when they came to February.

In walked Ryan and our need to get rid of stuff. The couple came to the house, looked at the couches, chairs, table/chairs, coffee tables, lamps, foosball table, and I could see their eyes just widen. This is not beat-up stuff, this is gently used furniture. A lot of it.

"You can have as much or as little as you want," I said.

"We'll take it all," he said.

"Are you sure you don't want anything for it?" she said.

I smiled. It wasn't mine to sell, really. And I wouldn't have charged them a nickel if I could.

"It even matches the color of the house!" she said.

So in a few days, when we work out the moving, all of this stuff that's a weight to me right now will be in the home that God wanted someone else to be in who didn't have anything. It's just like him to see the big picture.