Waiting for the Windows of Heaven to Open

How do you open the Windows of Heaven? I know how. Pay your tithing!

My heart has been fluttery with anticipation of . . . something? I do not know what it is that I am anticipating, or why my heart races with excitement and anxiousness. But I do know I feel a sense of "something is coming". Do you ever feel that way? 

Sometimes I feel restless, and I desire change. Sometimes just rearranging a little furniture will do the trick, and other times I want to rearrange my whole life. 

In the last few months we have considered some big changes, even REALLY big changes, but then we always come up with the answer to "wait." We have looked at new job opportunities in different places, and considered finding a new home in our same general area. 

We visited Fairfield, Idaho, an extremely small town, where Charles was considering applying for a Judge position. We went to Church there (a small branch with NO youth and 5 primary children) and were greeted with, "Oh, we have been praying for you to come!" But as soon as I walked in the building, I knew we could not do such a thing to our poor children and their futures. My children are social beings and they LOVE their friends. I could not rip them from that . . . there were a lot of reasons it did not feel right. I hate to disappoint the people of Fairfield who were ready to fast and pray Charles into the Judge position, but I am much more concerned about disappointing my children and upsetting their future. 

It was not the right thing for our family. 

As soon as we got home from Fairfield, we shifted gears, and the thought of looking into a new home came to our minds. We have looked at a bunch of different homes over the past few months, and we have walked through 3 in the last few days. Charles has his Realtor license so we can go into any home with no stress . . . it is kind of awesome, and convenient. We can go in alone without pressure from someone trying to convince us to buy something we don't want. 

We have looked, and looked, and been filled with excitement, and hope and dreams . . . 

But once again, the answer has been to "wait". 

We have looked at so many houses, but there has always been something a little "off" with all of them. Whether it is location, size, smell (no really, houses can STINK!), a driveway that is too steep, a house with no backyard . . . the list goes on and on. There has been something wrong with each home, and none of them have made us scream for joy. (We are picky, but we can be, we are in no rush.) But after living in a 2 bedroom home, you better believe we will be picky! 

It has been a little difficult, looking for homes is emotionally draining. You imagine yourself there for awhile, you dream, you hope, and then you have to bring it back to reality. If we were to try and find a home now it would be "the home" that we would stay in for a long, long, time -- so it is a little more stressful. 

When we bought our little house 6 years ago, it was only ever meant to be a "starter home" so it was stressful, but we were also stupid and naive, so it made it easier to pick something. Now we have owned a home for 6 years and we have seen what it takes to have a property in your name. I wish I could say it was a good investment, but since we bought at the peak of bubble before the recession, looking back now we would have been better off renting. Don't get me wrong, I have loved our home, and I am grateful we have had it. We have learned some very important lessons over the years because of this house. I am grateful. 

So now, we wait, and wonder . . . what are we supposed to do? Do we find a new home, do we add-on to our current home, do we just sit tight and wait for the future to unfold, or do we need to make some choices now? 

We wait. 

Timing . . . I think it is all about timing. 

Perhaps waiting until the turn of the year . . . the holiday season seems a difficult time to make such decisions. Not to mention the fact that the Country is in financial limbo right now, and things like Mortgage interest rates could skyrocket in the next little while. 

We wait. 

Wait, wait, wait! 

Hooray for waiting! 

As I was lying in bed the other night starring at my bunk bed slats, some thoughts from General Conference flowed into my mind . . . 

Elder Bednar said: 

"We may appropriately desire and work to receive a pay raise in our employment to better provide the necessities of life. Eyes and ears of faith are required, however, to notice in us an increased spiritual and temporal capacity to do more with less, a keener ability to prioritize and simplify, and an enhanced ability to take proper care of the material possessions we already have acquired. We might want and expect a larger paycheck, but the blessing that comes to us through heavenly windows may be greater capacity to change our own circumstances rather than expecting our circumstances to be changed by someone or something else...

Sometimes we may ask God for success, and He gives us physical and mental stamina. We might plead for prosperity, and we receive enlarged perspective and increased patience, or we petition for growth and are blessed with the gift of grace. He may bestow upon us conviction and confidence as we strive to achieve worthy goals. And when we plead for relief from physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties, He may increase our resolve and resilience."

He was talking about the Windows of Heaven opening when you pay your tithing. I think in the past I have thought of the Windows of Heaven and imagined a window opening and sparkly gifts of temporal blessings flowing out to reward righteous living. But that is not how it works. 

A window lets in light, and allows for clarity of vision. And that is what you can count on -- inspiration and guidance. A light in the darkness. Perhaps blessing don't come in the form of a larger home, but you can be inspired how to make the home you already have become the haven that you so desire. Rather than having a windfall of money land in your lap, you can be inspired how best to use your current resources. 

Consider the faithful Pioneers . . . and consider what they did with the meager things they had to work with. Golden streets did not fall from Heaven, they had to build, work, toil and create a city themselves. But God was with them, inspired them, and allowed them vision and strength to do what needed doing. They were guided along every step of the way. 

And we can be too. If we are PATIENT. And if we are willing to truly listen to God and shut-out our frenzied desires for "stuff" and for "more".  

So, we wait, and we work, and we keep moving forward . . . happily, of course. Right? 

We work with what we have, maybe tweak a few things, and utilize the resources we have to the best of our ability. We make life work for us right now. We can take our hopes and dreams and infuse them into life the way we live today. 

So . . . until the windfall of money and houses come falling from Heaven, we will make do with what we have now. And the true blessing is to have a sense of peace and happiness about it. 

Sometimes you just have to sit quietly and ask God what He REALLY wants you to do (which is often different then what YOU want to do!) and He will guide you! 

Keep those Heavenly Windows open!