4:50 p.m. Today's project was to take action on a couple of projects I'd been praying about and waiting on the Lord to implement: posting a room to rent in our almost empty house, and possibly selling wedding centerpieces on ebay.
Around 5:45 this morning, I woke up to a very delicate pattering sound, so I peeked out between the blinds in my daughter's old room, and, taking into account my lack of corrective eyewear at that point, didn't think the tiles on the roof even looked wet. "Rain? You've got to be kidding," I muttered. I lay back down, still doubting, but the sound continued. When I heard thunder, and saw a flash of lightning, I woke Steve up, because he loves storms, and we settled back into a nice cozy sleep until my cell phone alarm went off at 7 a.m. for church.
While I waited to go back to sleep, however, I thought about income producing activities other than book sales and my Mary Kay business, which are ongoing and the Lord has blessed so far. The rent our daughter did pay is sorely missed, and on a tight fixed-income budget, there's very little wiggle room. With a the University of California a mile away, seems that we might be able to provide a safe and quiet atmosphere for a single student, with their own bathroom and kitchen privileges. The room in question is pretty girly, but a place to live is just that--a place to live!
Grown children seem to stay home much longer these days, and if they are working, it's right to charge a nominal rent, get some help with utility bills, and require that they attend church and Bible study. I Timothy 5:4 has an interesting little phrase about the children of widows specifically, but to my mind applies to all children:
...let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God.
Church attendance is mandatory in our family, but cannot be imposed on a renter from outside our home. So I pray the Lord will send a young person we can witness to or mentor in the faith.
II Timothy 2:24-26 says,
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God will perhaps grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
Witnessing to a new friend, or mentoring a young believer may turn into a wonderful adventure of faith!
As I placed my ad with Craigslist, I carefully read their non-discrimination policy and worded my ad accordingly:
"$400. Room to rent in a quiet neighborhood I mile from the University of California Riverside. Private bathroom and kitchen privileges. No pets, smoking, alcohol, parties."
I think in a shared housing situation, we could state male or female, but I don't think either of us cares which kind of person they are, or their age. When we meet with them in person, we can see whether they mind dogs outside in our backyard that they don't have to interact with unless they choose to. If the Lord brings a renter, they will be handpicked by Him, that's one sure thing!
As for the wedding centerpieces, I'll have to ask my Mrs. Heidi Ilie first. But whether I sell them or take them to her house, our garage will soon have some actual "wiggle room!"
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