For Sale

When I met Todd almost six years ago now, he came with a huge truck, a giant trailer that housed camping gear and goose decoys, one big duck hunting boat and about seven hundred thousand varying items covered in hunter's camo. And guns. Lots of guns.

Fast forward six years later, the truck is gone and he drives a small family car because it's more economical and affordable. The trailer has been sold and the decoys and camping gear are now taking over the garage in the house that we bought two years ago. He still has about seven hundred thousand varying items covered in hunter's camo, including some of my very own things - like a visor and a jacket. And a nightgown if you must know. Because I wouldn't be the wife of a hunter if I didn't sport camo from time to time. And we still have the guns. Can't do much huntin' without a gun you know.

Last year when I quit my full time job and we decided to do this whole crazy "living by faith and God will will take care of us" thing, we sold off a few things so that we could continue to make ends meet. We sold his camper first - something he inherited and fixed up and I swore I would never sleep in because it was old and kind of gross. But then someone came and paid a whole $800 dollars for it and I could gave just given that camper a big old kiss because we really needed that $800 at the time.

When Todd quit the pizza gig in June, we decided we would sell the boat and use the money from it to pay off a couple of debts and it would alleviate how tight things were feeling financially. It was a great plan. If only things went according to plan. They never do though do they?

Selling this boat has been a much harder sell than we had anticipated. We know that in this economy, a lot of people are unloading similar kinds of assets because they are in the same position that we are in. So we didn't expect it to sell super fast, but we had hoped it would sell within a month at least. And duck season is almost here, and that's exactly what this boat is designed for.

Nearly two months in to this whole process, we've had about three serious buyers say they wanted it and then they walked away from the deal. We have even gone as far as buying two new tires for the boat trailer because the guy was coming to get it from Arkansas. And of course after we purchased the tires, he backed out. Again this week, another serious buyer wanted the boat. We even went as far as making plans for the weekend to meet up in the Dallas area. The thing was practically sold and I could feel myself calming down because everything was going to be okay.

And then he backed out too. *sigh*

In the process of this whole ordeal, we have also found out that the title for the boat is missing and obtaining a new title is quite an event considering the bank that it was financed through no longer exists. Texas Parks and Wildlife showed that the bank never transferred the title over to Todd anyway. FANTASTIC news. So even though we own it outright, there is no piece of paper that currently exists that states this to be true. Todd is now trying to get what he needs from the bank that bought out the other bank to prove he's paid it off and is the owner of this dang boat we are trying to sell.
The night our last buyer walked away, we received one more call from a man in Oklahoma who had been watching the boat online and saw the price drop and ask if it was still for sale. Another glimmer of hope.

So currently, the boat has a sale pending yet again, but it's hard to get excited when he is man #5 and we've gotten this far with others before. The plan is for Todd to meet up with him on Saturday, even if we are still working on the paperwork issue. Of course he too could back out, but we are hopeful that this guy is really the one.

It's amazing that God continues to give me some of the same kinds of places to trust Him with. Though he's done it before and time and again, when it gets down to the wire, I'm convinced that this will be the time that it doesn't work out. It feels evident that God wants to keep me in a place of dire need for Him. And in the process, instead of hating it, I am learning to love my neediness for Him. There are just certain things that only He can provide and only He can fill for me. And it is okay to be that needy. It's how I was created.

As I wrote this, I found out that Todd has worked out the sticky title mess. The bank is sending us and Texas Parks & Wildlife what we need paperwork wise. And the guy offered us only $200 less than what we asked for it. Todd is meeting him in Plano this weekend.

Smiling at how He always seems to work out the details.