So long

So long, its
been good to

know ya

A house built on the rock
1080 Hillside ct

Written by: Ashley Litton

  1
 

I
 remember
 when
 we
 first
 met.
 
 It
 was
 love
 at
 first
 sight.
 
 You
 were
 a
 little
 rough
 
around
 the
 edges.
 
 Ok,
 let’s
 be
 honest:
 you
 were
 a
 mess….an
 utter
 disaster….yet
 I
 
saw
 you
 as
 a
 diamond
 in
 the
 rough.
 
 I
 saw
 your
 true
 beauty
 underneath
 that
 layer
 of
 
filthy,
 1980s-­‐country-­‐blue
 carpet
 and
 mauve
 floral
 print
 wallpaper
 in
 the
 hall
 
bathroom.
 
 I
 saw
 beyond
 the
 years
 of
 neglect
 and
 mistreatment,
 and
 instead
 fell
 in
 
love
 with
 your
 warm
 and
 inviting
 yellow
 siding.
 
 I
 believed
 that
 you
 deserved
 a
 
second
 chance.
 
 A
 “fixer-­‐upper”
 we
 called
 you,
 and
 you
 became
 ours.
 

 
Immediately,
 you
 suited
 our
 newly-­‐wed
 dream
 we
 had
 been
 living
 the
 entire
 year
 
before:
 wedding,
 dog,
 house…and
 in
 that
 exact
 order.
 
 Our
 nights
 and
 weekends
 
became
 a
 passionate
 whirlwind
 of
 scarfing
 down
 a
 sandwich
 and
 changing
 clothes
 
at
 the
 little
 brick
 rental
 we’d
 called
 home
 since
 the
 wedding,
 and
 rushing
 to
 our
 
thrilling
 new
 adventure
 to
 make
 headway
 on
 a
 mile-­‐long
 list
 of
 projects.
 
 After
 a
 
month
 and
 a
 half
 of
 sawdust
 in
 our
 eyelashes,
 paint
 in
 our
 hair,
 and
 aching
 knees,
 
you
 claimed
 us
 and
 took
 us
 in,
 regardless
 of
 your
 incomplete
 state.
 
 You
 would
 be
 a
 
work
 in
 progress.
 However,
 at
 that
 point
 in
 time,
 we
 had
 no
 clue
 as
 to
 what
 that
 
progress
 would
 entail.
 

 
We
 moved
 in.
 
 The
 romance
 of
 renovation
 skidded
 to
 a
 halt,
 and
 we
 were
 okay
 with
 
that
 (and
 so
 was
 our
 checkbook).
 
 After
 all,
 we
 were
 in
 for
 the
 long
 haul,
 so
 time
 was
 
on
 our
 side.
 
 For
 a
 year
 and
 a
 half
 we
 lived
 the
 
dream-­‐come-­‐true
 happily
 inside
 your
 comforting
 
walls:
 husband,
 wife,
 and
 dog.
 
 
 

 
Then
 God
 changed
 our
 dreams.
 
 Didn’t
 He,
 sweet
 
house
 with
 the
 yellow
 siding?
 
 It
 was
 within
 your
 
walls
 that
 together
 we
 wept,
 knelt
 down,
 and
 with
 
praying
 hands
 accepted
 your
 call
 into
 full
 time
 ministry.
 

 
With
 a
 mixture
 of
 sadness
 and
 anticipation,
 we
 hammered
 a
 bright,
 oversized
 sign
 
into
 the
 newly
 cut
 grass
 of
 your
 front
 yard.
 
 That
 sign
 publicly
 claimed
 your
 status
 as
 
“up
 for
 grabs,”
 and
 perhaps
 made
 you
 feel
 betrayed.
 
 But,
 dear
 house,
 the
 thing
 is:
 
when
 God
 speaks,
 you
 listen
 and
 obey.
 
 And
 in
 this
 case,
 obedience
 meant
 saying
 
good-­‐bye.
 


 
A
 few
 months
 later,
 as
 we
 loaded
 a
 dog
 and
 
almost
 3
 years
 of
 marriage
 onto
 a
 mid-­‐sized
 
Penske
 truck,
 we
 drove
 away
 and
 said
 our
 
good-­‐byes.
 
 Good-­‐bye
 to
 that
 awkward
 
extra
 bedroom
 with
 walls
 full
 of
 poorly
 
hung
 shelving.
 
 Good-­‐bye
 to
 that
 master
 
bathroom
 with
 the
 ugly,
 olive-­‐green
 tile.
 
 
Good-­‐bye
 to
 that
 one
 utensil
 drawer
 in
 the
 
kitchen
 that
 would
 completely
 fall
 out
 if
 you
 pulled
 it
 too
 far.
 
 Good-­‐bye
 to
 our
 next-­‐


 

  2
 

door
 neighbors-­‐dear
 friends-­‐with
 whom
 on
 
cool
 nights
 we
 would
 share
 outdoor
 pit
 fires
 
and
 laughter-­‐filled
 conversation
 in
 your
 
backyard.
 Good-­‐bye
 to
 gatherings
 of
 rowdy
 
Alabama
 football
 fans
 in
 your
 living
 room
 on
 
Saturday
 nights.
 
 
 

 
And
 so
 began
 our
 new
 journey…one
 that
 we
 
thought
 we
 had
 all
 figured
 out.
 
 But
 as
 it
 turned
 out,
 when
 we
 thought
 we
 were
 
closing
 a
 chapter,
 we
 were
 in
 fact
 keeping
 it
 open
 for
 years
 to
 come.
 
 The
 plan
 was
 to
 
sell
 you
 to
 another
 loving
 family…pass
 your
 charming
 hospitality
 on
 to
 someone
 
else
 who
 would
 appreciate
 you.
 
 Instead,
 you
 refused
 to
 give
 up
 on
 us.
 
 Perhaps
 you
 
knew
 all
 along
 that
 we
 would
 one
 day
 reunite.
 
 God
 certainly
 did.
 

 
During
 our
 time
 away,
 we
 resided
 in
 2
 different
 states,
 lived
 in
 3
 rentals,
 gave
 birth
 
to
 2
 precious
 boys,
 accumulated
 all
 the
 furniture
 and
 contraptions
 one
 “needs”
 for
 
young
 ones,
 bought
 our
 first
 new
 car,
 the
 dog
 grew
 older,
 and
 we
 still
 managed
 to
 
keep
 you
 in
 our
 possession.
 
 
 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
We
 could
 not
 understand
 why
 no
 one
 wanted
 you.
 We
 spent
 many
 frustrated,
 tear-­‐
filled
 conversations
 with
 God,
 asking
 “Why?”
 
 We
 loved
 you.
 
 But
 frankly,
 you
 were
 a
 
burden,
 and
 we
 needed
 you
 to
 move
 on.
 
 Or,
 at
 least
 that’s
 what
 we
 thought.
 
 Truly,
 
all
 we
 needed
 was
 to
 simply
 learn
 a
 lesson
 in
 trusting
 God’s
 sovereign
 plan,
 
regardless
 of
 our
 discomfort
 and
 discouragement.
 

 
After
 almost
 4
 years
 gone,
 God
 revealed
 to
 us
 a
 little
 bit
 more
 of
 His
 plan…the
 
answer
 to
 our
 “Why?”
 
 We
 moved
 back
 to
 Alabama.
 
 Your
 
kind,
 beige
 walls
 and
 warm,
 hardwood
 floors
 immediately
 
opened
 their
 arms
 to
 us
 once
 again,
 now
 a
 family
 of
 4
 (ok,
 5
 
if
 you
 count
 the
 dog
 who
 was
 now
 bumped
 way
 down
 to
 
the
 bottom
 of
 the
 totem
 pole).
 
 
 

 
This
 time
 around,
 that
 shelf-­‐filled
 room
 would
 transform
 into
 a
 nursery,
 and
 the
 big
 
oak
 tree
 in
 the
 backyard
 would
 have
 a
 blue
 swing
 hanging
 from
 its
 strong
 limbs.
 
 
Immediately,
 you
 became
 our
 home
 again.
 
 We
 breathed
 a
 sigh
 of
 relief,
 and
 
whispered
 prayers
 of
 thankfulness
 for
 closure
 on
 what
 seemed
 hopeless
 for
 all
 that
 
time.
 


 

  3
 


 
Comfort
 was
 ours.
 
 Life
 was
 good.
 
 We
 were
 given
 2
 ½
 more
 years
 with
 you.
 
 2
 ½
 
years
 filled
 with
 garden
 sharing
 and
 cul-­‐de-­‐sac
 play
 dates
 with
 those
 same
 bon-­‐fire-­‐
loving
 neighbors
 from
 years
 before.
 
 We
 resumed
 a
 few
 unfinished
 projects
 from
 our
 
early
 days
 of
 companionship.
 
 

We
 gave
 birth
 to
 our
 #3;
 our
 only
 girl.
 
 You
 kept
 her
 cozy
 and
 warm
 on
 winter
 nights
 
as
 we
 placed
 her
 in
 that
 darling
 nursery
 with
 the
 brilliant
 hot
 air
 balloons
 hanging
 
above
 her
 rocking
 chair.
 
 We
 thought
 the
 early
 memories
 made
 within
 you
 were
 
marvelous
 when
 it
 was
 just
 the
 two
 of
 us.
 
 But
 these
 memories
 made
 with
 3
 little
 
ones
 in
 the
 mix
 were
 absolutely
 priceless.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
But
 then
 something
 completely
 off
 our
 radar
 occurred.
 
 God
 asked
 for
 obedience
 
again.
 
 Only
 this
 time,
 we
 would
 be
 returning
 to
 Virginia,
 which
 is
 where
 we
 lived
 
before
 coming
 back
 to
 you.
 
 It
 seemed
 as
 though
 we
 were
 doing
 full
 circles.
 Yet
 He
 
assured
 us
 through
 His
 Word
 that
 He
 was
 clearly
 saying,
 “This
 is
 the
 way.
 Walk
 in
 
it.”
 
 Thankful
 for
 that
 clarity
 and
 peace
 that
 comes
 only
 from
 our
 Lord,
 we
 were
 
immediately
 burdened
 with
 the
 need
 to
 pray
 for
 the
 miracle
 of
 concluding
 our
 time
 
with
 you
 forever.
 

 
And
 pray,
 we
 did.
 
 For
 the
 next
 5
 months
 we
 prayed.
 
 We
 lowered
 the
 price.
 
 We
 
trusted.
 
 We
 lowered
 the
 price
 again.
 
 We
 trusted.
 
 We
 worried-­‐only
 occasionally.
 
 
We
 trusted.
 
 And
 then
 it
 came:
 our
 first
 and
 only
 offer,
 after
 trying
 to
 get
 rid
 of
 you
 
for
 almost
 7
 years,
 off
 and
 on.
 
 
 

 
So
 here
 we
 are.
 
 With
 details
 progressing
 and
 heading
 towards
 what
 looks
 like
 a
 
legit
 sale,
 we
 near
 the
 end
 of
 this
 journey
 with
 you,
 dear
 house.
 
 In
 a
 strange
 way,
 it
 
seems
 surreal.
 
 At
 one
 point,
 I
 truly
 doubted
 we
 would
 ever
 see
 this
 day.
 
 It’s
 
certainly
 not
 how
 I
 dreamed
 this
 would
 be.
 
 The
 luxury
 of
 buying
 a
 home,
 fixing
 it
 
up,
 and
 selling
 it
 several
 years
 later
 for
 a
 handsome
 profit
 will
 not
 be
 our
 


 

  4
 

experience.
 
 In
 fact,
 quite
 the
 opposite
 is
 happening
 in
 our
 case.
 
 Yet
 we
 will
 be
 
closing
 this
 chapter
 of
 our
 lives
 much
 richer
 than
 we
 were
 before.
 

 
Through
 you,
 we
 have
 been
 given
 the
 gift
 of
 sweet
 memories
 that
 will
 never
 be
 
forgotten.
 
 More
 importantly,
 we
 have
 been
 taught
 invaluable
 lessons
 about
 our
 
faith
 and
 trust
 in
 the
 God
 who
 is
 our
 rock.
 
 It’s
 funny
 how
 stories
 I’ve
 grown
 up
 
hearing
 can
 take
 on
 an
 entirely
 new
 meaning
 as
 an
 adult
 who
 has
 undergone
 the
 
storms
 of
 life.
 
 In
 Matthew
 7:24-­‐25,
 it
 says
 this:
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
We
 literally
 had
 you,
 our
 house,
 and
 all
 that
 you
 brought
 our
 way,
 built
 on
 the
 rock.
 
 
The
 rain
 and
 wind
 certainly
 came.
 
 You
 were
 a
 source
 of
 agonizing
 stress
 for
 so
 
many
 years.
 
 But
 we
 clung
 to
 the
 belief
 that
 our
 God
 would
 not
 let
 us
 fall.
 
 Indeed,
 He
 
did
 not.
 
 He
 provided.
 
 He
 took
 care
 of
 us
 every
 single
 step
 of
 the
 way.
 
 Through
 that,
 
He
 built
 our
 trust
 in
 Him.
 
 This
 foundation
 is
 one
 that
 will
 remain
 forever,
 and
 will
 
carry
 us
 through
 future
 wind
 and
 rain.
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
We
 are
 grateful
 for
 the
 memories,
 life
 lessons,
 and
 opportunities
 that
 God
 has
 had
 to
 
show
 us
 His
 faithfulness.
 
 We
 are
 also
 grateful
 to
 be
 moving
 on,
 but
 we
 will
 certainly
 
never
 forget
 you.
 
 So
 I
 conclude,
 as
 an
 ode
 to
 you,
 precious
 little
 house
 on
 Hillside
 
Court,
 with
 a
 song.
 
 I
 can
 still
 hear
 my
 dad,
 a
 Woody
 Guthrie
 fan
 from
 way
 back,
 
singing
 these
 words
 when
 I
 was
 a
 child.
 
 They
 take
 on
 a
 new
 meaning
 now:
 

 

“So
 long,
 it's
 been
 good
 to
 know
 ya;
 
So
 long,
 it's
 been
 good
 to
 know
 ya;
 
So
 long,
 it's
 been
 good
 to
 know
 ya.
 
This
 dusty
 old
 dust
 is
 a-­‐gettin'
 my
 home,
 

And
 I
 got
 to
 be
 driftin'
 along.
 “