By Jan Penton-Miller

Panolian Columnist

What a whirlwind the last couple of weeks have been! During my recent visit to Mississippi I realized that I was very homesick. The hot sultry sun, lush green forests, white sandy beaches, and fresh gulf seafood were part of the draw for sure. But most of all, I missed my people.

After talking things over with Mike he agreed that he could travel for the last year or two to his job in Tennessee, and we began to make plans to move home.

We prayed over the situation and decided to put our house on the market. We really wanted to make the right decision so we both did something that we only do once in a while. We fasted and prayed.

Don’t misunderstand, I pray often, but I didn’t grow up in a denomination that taught much about fasting, so it was never a part of my normal routine. I first fasted years ago when one of my children was in trouble. I saw an amazing answer to my prayer by the changed heart of my child and began to understand the importance of fasting.

Long story short, we fasted and prayed not that someone would come along and buy our house, but that God’s will would be done. I prayed that it would not sell if it wasn’t the right thing and waited to see what would happen.

After only days on the market a couple from Texas came to see the house. I only had a little notice and was straightening things up when they appeared. This surprised me because I thought I had another hour to prepare. The mix-up came because the power had gone off during the night, and I failed to reset the kitchen clock.

 The gentleman noticed my rug at the back door which says This house runs on coffee and Jesus. I guess that made him feel at ease to tell me that he and his wife had planned on building a house, but only that very morning in their prayer time felt compelled to look for a house to buy.

They called a realtor, saw our house online, and asked for an appointment. The short notice was why I was still sprucing up when they arrived.

The couple looked at the house and yard and made an acceptable offer on the spot. To say that I was surprised would be an understatement because I thought even if it did sell it would take at least a little while.

I know the market is hot right now and most things are selling quickly, but I feel that it’s no coincidence the buyers felt God leading them to look for a house, and it turned out to be ours.

Without my sweet neighbors I would never have been able to complete the task of packing in such a short time. I will forever call my friend, Carol, the packing and organization queen. That girl has some serious skills!

Write to Jan Penton-Miller at jpentonauthor@gmail.com