Where would I go?

Since I wasn’t moving in with Karen and Rodney, I was back to square one. I searched Craigslist and kept an ear out, but no option looked appealing.

My hope was in the fact that God was in this move.

One evening I was training Brittany, a new girl at work, and we got to talking. Turned out her lease was up in October, and that she was a Christian! For some reason we both decided we should live together, right then and there.

Her lease was up before mine, so she put all but her bed in storage and moved into a corner of my large bedroom. We would meet at lunchtime and go searching for two-bedroom options in the Fan and in Church Hill. After a couple weeks of seeing places with either no closets or tiny bedrooms, we were getting a little discouraged.

I attended a Saudi dinner event with some friends at VCU one Friday night, and met a Jordanian woman named Lena who came with my friend Amal. I told them how we were searching for a new place but hadn’t found one yet.

The next night, I got a phone call from a random number. It was a woman named Caitlin, who said she heard I was looking for a roommate from her friend Lena.

“Um, I’m actually not,” I said. Lena had misunderstood me.”I have a roommate, we are just looking for a place!”

“Well” Caitlin said, “I have an appointment to go see a three-bedroom place in Church Hill this Wednesday at one. Would you two like to come and just see?”

I said I guessed it couldn’t hurt. Also, the place she mentioned was one I’d liked on Craigslist but couldn’t get an appointment for.  There was one last thing.

“Caitlin, this is an awkward question to ask, but are you a Christian? Because Brittany and I both are and it’s important to us to live in a house that’s a safe,  un-crazy environment.”

Caitlin started crying. “I am! I had given up on finding Christian roommates, and this just seems like such a God thing.”

I agreed. 

Brittany and I met her at the prospective house the next day just to peek around, and even as I drove down the street, which was ghetto as it could be,  I experienced what can only be called the peace of God. It just felt..right! We met Caitlin, who seemed nice and normal, and peered in through windows. The house was beautiful, and the price, split three ways, was totally doable. It was in a questionable area, but since this seemed to be a God thing, I was in.

We all agreed. We’d come back Wednesday, and barring any crazy surprises upstairs, we were ready to sign the lease. All without stepping foot inside. This was home.

While living with two almost strangers wasn’t perfect, it was definitely good. We had some great parties, we were there for each other through hard times, and ultimately I ended up living there for five years, and I loved that house dearly, mostly because of the good times and friendships that were strengthened there. Although my last year was shaky due to some problems my last roommates were dealing with, I know God led me to live there, and I am thankful for all of the amazing memories I have from that time in my life!

Me, Brittany, Sarah (future roomie), and Caitlin (top)

The most epic Friendsgiving ever with roomies AshCap and Sarah D and our crazy awesome neighbors

Prayer:

Pray for Chistians all over the world to take the call to love their neighbor seriously, beginning with me!

* Pray for God to heal J completely and provide any financial needs!

Have a fabulous weekend!