But if we sold the house and paid the solicitors, we wouldn't have enough money to buy another house. We had often thought about living in the Adventist Retirement Village in Cooranbong and felt God was telling us to put the house on the market.
The very first couple to inspect the house purchased it. We received a fair price for it, right before housing prices dropped noticeably. As always, God was right.
We rang the Avondale Retirement Village office and the manager said, "When the sale is finalised, come and see me."
God had a unit available for us just when we needed it, as the woman who lived there had moved into the hostel. We paid the solicitors, purchased our lovely unit and had some money left for our first new car. We were able to enjoy some travelling and live comfortably. Our God is so good.
Thirty-five years earlier, we were living in Adelaide. We drove to Tamworth to visit friends, then drove home via Cooranbong. My children and husband had not been there before and they were impressed. Our son was nearly ready to go to college and our daughters were in primary and high school. My husband was convinced this would be a good place to bring up our children.
After praying about it, he applied for a job at the Sanitarium Health Food Company. He was soon offered a job and a factory house. We went home to Adelaide and put our house up for sale. Again, the first people to look at it purchased it. Six weeks later, when the sale was finalised, we moved to Cooranbong.
Our three children settled well. They went to school and college, then nursing at Sydney Adventist Hospital. They grew up, made friends, married and now have children of their own. Our first grandchild is now attending Avondale College. God really is good. We stayed in Cooranbong until the children finalised their education, then moved to Sydney for a few years to be near two of our children. But rental prices rose so high that we purchased a caravan in a caravan park, which was not satisfactory.
At this time, friends on the Central Coast invited us to stay with them for the weekend. At church, we met other friends who told us about a brand new villa selling for half price, as it was the last in the estate to be sold and the developers wanted to finalise the project. Our friends lived three villas down from it.
After Sabbath, we made arrangements to meet the agent on Sunday morning. The villa was lovely and we could afford it at the reduced price. We paid the deposit and finalised it on Monday-- yet another answer to prayer. God is incredibly good.
We had eight happy years in the villa, then decided to buy a good home. We wanted a home backing onto the bush with plenty of land for a garden. My husband had retired and enjoyed having a garden again. We had eight more happy years in this home until God called us back "full circle" to Cooranbong and the Avondale Retirement Village.
God has led us all the way and we are wonderfully blessed. God is very good.
Commit your work to the Lord, and then your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3.
Doreen Trenowden lives in the Avondale Retirement Village, Cooranbong, New South Wales.
