We made what we thought was a very reasonable offer on a 67-acre piece in Tennessee yesterday, but our offer was rejected. The owner wouldn’t budge, and we couldn’t afford a larger offer. This puts us back at square one, pretty much.

The seller’s rejection of our offer seems to be influenced by the local rumor mill. (This is my speculation based on the story I will tell you.) Several weeks back, Greg and I were speaking with an elderly gentleman about his 100-acre place for sale. We toured the property and agreed that it was the nicest place we’d seen so far. The owner told us that his asking price was fantastic, since a farm down the road sold for $1000 more per acre. Yet, it still seemed pretty high to us.

Afterward, a local real estate agent related a story about a man who came in from California and bought the infamous place down-the-way right on the spot. “No offense,” he told us, “But you people coming in from California and Florida had a recent housing boom. It’s driving things up.” Just as an unfortunate aside for us, it seems the bubble has burst in our area.

Anyway, I believe I found the piece for the price mentioned, but it has a 3 bedroom house on it. (?) Other factors drive up the price of vacant land, such as: creeks, springs, riverfront, vicinity to town, timber to pasture ratio, and general fertility of the land.

Fast forward to yesterday. When Greg made our offer, which was in line with what has sold in the area in the past six months with other comparable pieces, the owner mentioned the story about “that one piece down the way.” It seems everyone knows about that place, and word is getting around. He isn’t in a rush, in any case.

Elisabeth Elliot writes, “I had been praying for something I wanted very badly. It seemed a good thing to have, a thing that would make life even more pleasant than it is, and would not in any way hinder my work. God did not give it to me. Why? I do not know all of his reasons, of course. The God who orchestrates the universe has a good many things to consider that have not occurred to me, and it is well that I leave them to Him. But one thing I do understand: He offers me holiness at the price of relinquishing my own will.”

We trust in providence, and so our disappointment is tempered. It’s just another leg in the journey, which ironically, may be leading to nowhere. (I had to say it.) We delight in Him, and not in a place—at least, not in a place that is here– and so I really mean it when I say that it’s all OK. We’ll wait, watch, and know that He is still working right where we’re at.

That’s all for now. Besides a rabid raccoon in our neighborhood that attacked a man and lots of thundershowers, it’s pretty quiet around here.

Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
Psalm 37:3 - 7a