Don't settle for less....

     "Kids... get ready! We are going to go look at a van!" They kids excitedly ran and got their shoes on and got ready to leave the house. This scene repeated itself many times this last week. We looked at so many vans I think our eyes wanted to fall out. Each time the kids would ask, "Can we get it? Did we buy it?" and sadly I would have to tell them no..... it wasn't the van for us. Either it looked better online than it really was (i.e. a yellow paint factory must have went haywire in the one), a little rust (you might just lose a door driving down the road), clean and ready to roll (needs about $1500 in work to get it ready) or needed a paint job but having a family we could probably just deal with it (someone keyed it.... although it appeared someone took a jackhammer to the paint job). Yes... we have seen many vans!
     Stephen looked online, I looked online, we called places looking for what we had in mind and our budget. Goal: decent miles, not a ton of cash, and good condition. That was a hard challenge. So yesterday Stephen called the dealer (an hour away) and asked him about their van. It was originally nearly double what we had available to buy it with... and that was before taxes, title and plates. He negotiated over the phone at half of the original asking.... knowing it was a crazy insane offer and would ONLY be accepted if THIS is the van God had for us.... and minutes before the dealership closed, they called and accepted our crazy offer! What!? It totally was a God thing because no dealer had accepted any offer like that!
     This came after visiting a dealership in the morning prior and being only $200 short of the amount we needed.... we had the money not even an hour later after going to the bank and called to say we were on our way but the van had sold. We were disappointed but knew that's not the one God had for us.

     All this to say... Don't settle for less than what God has for you. Don't settle because you are in a hurry, but rather seek Him and what He has for you! For His plans are the best plans of all! Now we have an awesome van that seats our whole family.... and kids who are SO excited because we finally could say "yes.... we bought it... it's ours!"





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Proverbs 3:5-6

New International Version 

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

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