"In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:2, New King James Bible Version (NKJV). "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God;" (Romans 8:28 to semicolon; NKJV). "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32; NKJV). "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God." (Psalm 90:1-3; NKJV).
For more than a few years, the housing industry in America has been in shambles. Home values for sellers have slipped well below previous years, and lending institutions have tightened their requirements, like down payments for buyers, even when interest rates are low. Few individuals are having an easy time while trying to re-locate to a new dwelling place. But that is only the material view of things. What is going on 'out there' in the human scene isn't nearly as important as realizing what is going on in the invisible kingdom of God. This ever-present kingdom is with us, and within us (that is, within our own conscious awareness) wherever we go in this human experience, and at all times. God's loving control over all can come forward into the material realm of things when we realize its ever-presence with us. So, whether we are seeking a new home or leaving our old one. God can have everything to do with it, when, but only when, we turn to God within us and allow the Almighty to take over. It doesn't matter whether we are buyers, sellers, landlords, or renters. One's housing situation can be lifted above the outer world of form and the material 'reality' that seems to be going on around us. Spirit's invisible, spiritual reality of God's power and harmony over all things takes form in the human experience whenever we remember it and turn to it for direction or deliverance. Christ Jesus and his disciples had no permanent dwellings and yet they found their home wherever they went. In a very real sense, that's because we take our home with us, wherever we go. If stranded on that proverbial desert island, our consciousness can find tools and objects with which to build shelters, however humble. This ability exists because home and shelter are two concepts of divine Intelligence, which dwell within us all. It is this divine link to God, within us, our Christ Consciousness, that allows us to build a 'home' wherever we go. This realization hints at God's infinite Intelligence that supplies all our needs, from any environment we happen upon. Thus, our material home-shelters can take infinite forms in this material experience. As civilization has progressed, however, our concepts, or ideas of home and hearth, have gone beyond simple dwellings. Our modern-day dwelling places become more complex as our civilizations grow more complex. We move around the planet and change our material homes more frequently, thus keeping a large housing market in constant motion. Yet, the divine Intelligence is still with us, and the divine consciousness within us is still in control of Its own creation, however much constantly-changing markets seem to threaten our stability. With this in mind, here is a testimony of what just recently occurred for our family regarding houses and this current material economy: Many years ago, in our thirties, my husband and I purchased a vacation cabin by a small lake. We paid on it for many, long years. A couple years ago, however, we decided that it was finally time to sell this property, for this had been part of our long-term plan for our retirement. So, we put it up for sale. Alas, the first year it didn't sell. Even in the second year it didn't sell. People liked the property, but they wanted to make ridiculously low offers because of the sluggish economy. These offers wouldn't even cover the land value and location, let alone the value of the cabin we had kept up so well. So, although we willingly came down in price in recognition of the falling values, we soon felt wiser in keeping this property, rather than almost, literally, giving it away during this time of a bad economy. As the value of the property continued to slip away in the declining months, however, we began to feel quite disadvantaged. Here we had invested in this actually-beautiful property to help us in our retirement years, only to have the economy fall steadily when it was time to sell and realize our investment savings. To make matters worse, we needed this sale so that we could afford to exchange our regular home for a newer one that would better fit our current needs. I just couldn't understand what was going on. I have always believed in God's divine harmony and invisible kingdom, but it seemed to be evading me concerning selling this lake house. So, while praying about the stagnant state of our housing situation, and where I was going wrong in my faith of things, I finally had a "Eureka" moment (I just love those). The thought came to me that if I would just see things about homes and the economy in a more spiritual light, I would realize that we had never owned that cabin, or the house we live in, at all. The thought unfolded that it is God who owns all property in the invisible kingdom of Spirit, and whatever material form such properties take. I was to recognize the spiritual fact that God was both the real buyer and real seller of all places, things and property. More than that, God was the only Matchmaker who knew the right buyer for us, as well as knowing that we were the right sellers for the ones who needed this particular lake-house. As I sat and let these meditative thoughts take over, I suddenly realized that, in the spiritual sense of things, God is the owner of all physical forms of property that take place and position in the human experience (where we seem to exist in both a physical and spiritual reality). Our true reality is ever-lastingly spiritual in substance; for, the material forms we create are merely symbols of our real, spiritual circumstances. Thus, all property belongs only to God and only God is able to move people around, harmoniously, for all concerned. Looking at physical property from this more spiritual point of view, it made more sense that the divine Intelligence and Creator is the buyer, and the seller of all property, at the same time. Likewise, God is both the renter and the landlord of all property. And because this is so, God is ALWAYS in equilibrium and balance with Itself. What had been wrong with my previous thinking was that I had been mesmerized by the world's view of a material economy, even though, deep down, I knew better. I also had been under the mistaken impression that we had owned any part of Spirit's creation. It is God's creation; but each of us has inherited our own places in it. Clearing my thought from a materialistic view of property put me back on the right track, allowing the spiritual truth of economics to come forward into the human scene. As I said, this was really a "Eureka" moment for me. I suddenly felt completely free of the worry and fear that this cabin would never sell and we would never be able to relocate to a home that would better fill our needs. Neither of these issues were controlled by us. Finally, I felt a peace about the whole subject of material, human economies and the balance between supply and demand, as it pertained to any market. Sure enough, no more than four hours went by, before the phone rang, and the realtor told us that someone was interested in our cabin and he (the realtor) was heading out the door to show the property to the caller. An offer was made the next day, and with a small amount of negotiations, we sold the cabin for a fair price and lost little money on it. At the closing on the property last week, we met the buyer who said it was exactly what his wife and he needed; for she was still back working in another state for several months, and he could build on to the present structure by the time she joined him. (Did I mention that the cabin was on a double-wide lot?). Anyway, we realized our full investment back, and then some. We are now resting before we put our regular house on the market, but I have no fear about this at all, now. God's ownership of all things is really what divine harmony is all about. I know that when we put the sign in the yard for our current home, God's equilibrium of supply and demand will be ready and willing to bring the right buyer to us. And when it is time for us to find our own new home, we will know where to go, what to do, and when to do it.
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