Having always loved bay windows, we decided to add some into the building or our “new” home. Castles are also something for which both Marvin and I have an affinity; so, we decided that our bay windows would take the shape of double turrets that would span the height of both floors giving two bay windows to the downstairs master bedroom and one each to the upstairs bedrooms. This style of construction would also give the kids a high rounded crows nest ceiling within each of their bay areas creating a nice tall nook in those bedrooms for them to enjoy.

AprilDawn was the star of this project because Marvin was constructing this part of the build during baseball season and, while Simon did help a great deal with every part of this house build, he and I were gone to practices during a large portion of this process leaving our daughter to be the main assistant for her dad. It was, as everything else was, hard work. But, this girl always had the best attitude. Seriously, she did! She was extremely affected by our decision to move into the “Little Shack Out Back” (we all were). But, this child somehow managed to keep joy and enthusiasm through it all.

I call my husband, “A Man of Many Mottos!” One of which is, “Attitude is everything and everything is possible!” AprilDawn certainly reflected the good attitude characteristic, even when she was placed in the position of having to measure lengths and angles and then use an electric miter box saw to make the compound mitered cuts each board required on both ends. And, as if that wasn’t enough, none of the boards or cuts required the same length or angle.

Marvin would measure the distances and angles of the openings, she would write them down, then descend the ladder two floors to reach the saw that was sitting on the ground below. She would proceed to set the angle on the saw, measure and mark the boards, cut them the length and angle she’d been given, and then climb back up the ladder carrying the boards. After giving them to her dad, who would nail them into place, the whole process would then be repeated. While it was a really good way for her to practice her geometry skills (which she just so happened to be studying at the time), it was an exhausting job both physically and mentally; needless to mention, she was—and still is—so proud to say she built those turrets with her dad.

Once these towering rounded structures were framed, roofed, and sided they were ready to receive windows. There was only one problem, we didn’t have any windows for them. Nor, did we have the money at the time to purchase them; because, like everything else this project required, windows were (and still are) very expensive.

Still, I knew exactly what kind I wanted. Since I like an open view, it was my desire to have windows that didn’t have the inset pickets in them. I just wanted plain clear unobstructed glass on each pane. With this thought in mind, I learned quickly that windows are very specific—WINDOWS ARE VERY SPECIFIC, PEOPLE!!

You wouldn’t think that in a world full of windows it would be so difficult to shop for and find any kind you wanted. NO! That is not the case. There are so many specifications that windows have to meet in order to work—width, height, shape, style….it began to feel like finding the size and style we wanted in a price range that we would be able to pay was an impossibility. But, nothing is impossible to God. And, while our eyes were dimmed to the location site of the windows we needed, God could clearly see where they were. Also, since He is intimately acquainted with each of His children, He knew the desire of my heart concerning what kind I’d really like to have. Nevertheless, our search for them had brought me to the place of laying down that desire and deciding that I’d be happy to see anything but the tarp that Marvin had hanging on the side of the house in order to protect the interior construction from the weather.

1 Corinthians 13:10&12 tells us, “But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away…For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” (KJV)

I know this is a scripture that is talking about eternity and how one day we will see Him face to face and have the clarity of sight to view all things with perfect spiritual vision and have all understanding and fully appreciate how much He loves us, sees us, and knows us by allowing us to fully love, see, and know Him. But, this verse fits so beautifully into the testimony of how He built our house. Because, the “perfect” did come and the tarp (“that which is in part”) was done away and we found ourselves looking through beautiful glass and realizing once again that we are already “known!” –But, I’m getting ahead of myself…

…Marvin was outside one day working on the bay window part of our house build when a friend drove up pulling a flat bed trailer behind his truck. This didn’t strike Marvin as odd because he knew that our friend was right in the middle of building a house for his wife and himself. It turns out, he had been out back of a home building supply store with the permission of one of his friends who ran the business. He was looking around at all of the things that were being discarded—at all of the “excess” (Have you read Part 1 yet?). Our friend had proceeded to pull everything out of the dumpsters that was of any value or potential use toward the building of his new home. Being aware that Marvin and I were in the midst of our build he decided to bring over some of the things that wouldn’t work for his house hoping that they would work for us.

Y’all, you can’t make this stuff up….On the trailer that he was pulling lay 12 (the exact number we needed) windows that were the style we had been looking for and they were also A PERFECT FIT! We hadn’t found them, but God knew where they were and sent someone else out to get them and bring them to us.

It has always struck me as interesting that He allowed me to reach the point of laying down my strong desire in submission to whatever would meet our basic need, only to then give me exactly what I had desired. That has actually happened on other occasions in my life, but only when it was sincere on my part, when I honestly said, “Not my will but Yours be done.” And, each time this has ever happened, I’ve found myself in a humbled state of awe as I yet again realized that He Is God and I am not.

He sees me and knows me clearly right now; but, I only see Him through the dark lens of my own desire which causes me to exhaust myself in the hunt for what I think I want or need. Too often, I don’t recognize that He should be my deepest, my only true, desire.

In the case of our bay windows, they were garbage in a dumpster behind the store, as all of our competing desires most accurately are (or should be) when compared to our love and desire for Him. Only then, and in the light of His perfect love, can those things which pale so completely by comparison be removed from the heap and placed so perfectly into the picture of our lives. For, He alone can truly satisfy!

How about you, do you have any thoughts you’d like to share? If so, please leave a comment below and…

Let’s Grow Together!

(Read Part 1)

(Read Part 6)