Sometimes You’re Just Wrong

The neighborhood

This apartment search had really got us down. Maybe that sounds stupid, but it’s the truth. We felt like we were making the right decision by trying to live in the immediate neighborhood of the church and in a first floor apartment. So we chose the less nice apartment, for a higher price, that had a lot of things needing to be fixed/cleaned in order for it to be a comfortable and well-functioning place to live. We went on Saturday with Roberto and Maria to talk to the owner and see if he could make a few improvements to it before we moved in. We all agreed that Maria’s contractor friend would meet us at the apartment on Sunday afternoon to give an estimate for the work, of which we would pay for at least half. Thankfully, on Saturday we noticed some things about the apartment that we hadn’t noticed before. We thought it needed a new paint job, but only realized on Saturday that it looked that way because the paint was peeling as a result of moisture and mold. Yes, mold. And it smelled like it too. Something we had noticed before but assumed it was just as a result of being closed up, or the smell of the cement floor, something like that. Maria and Roberto agreed it could cause health problems, but also wanted to be positive and told us it could be treated.

On Sunday I met a nurse in the church, Norma, who volunteers on Sunday mornings in a little clinic in the church that gives out free medication to people who bring a prescription from their doctor, does basic exams, and gives over-the-counter medicine to those who need it. We sat together and she taught me. It was wonderful. We had quite a bit of time to chat so I told her about the apartment and about the mold issue. She said if there’s a little it’s okay, that you can treat it, but if there’s a lot we shouldn’t live there. On further examination on Sunday afternoon, there was a lot. Not only that, but the owner didn’t like the contractor we brought, and wanted to find her own, meaning that the apartment wouldn’t be ready for at least two weeks. It was disappointing. We just wanted to be able to settle somewhere, unpack our suitcases, and get on with why we came.

On Monday night there are men’s and women’s groups at the church. Roberto is the Men’s Ministry Pastor and Maria, his wife, leads the women’s group. Maria shared Philippians 4:4-7, 

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. 

I shared this with Steve when we got home. It was the first time in about a week we really felt at peace with the apartment search. Turned out we had turned it into one big drama, assuming it would dictate so much about our lives here, it would make or break our effectiveness, and wanting to make sure everyone thought we were making the right decision.

There was an apartment that we’d seen last Sunday that was perfect. It was a well cared for, new building with a very clean and perfect sized apartment. It was a little less expensive than, shall we call it…the moldy one. The only “problem” with it was that it was a twenty-minute walk to the church. Yes, not far, but father than most everything else we’d looked at.

Sometimes decisions seem so daunting. And by sometimes I mean always for me. I have got to be one of the worst decisions makers ever made. I don’t even know where I got it. My parents aren’t like this and my brother definitely isn’t either. It doesn’t matter where it came from though. What matters is that I’m learning that everything doesn’t have to feel perfect, everyone doesn’t have to be pleased, and “buyer’s remorse” is just a way of letting ourselves out of being content in the situation we’re in. Life is too short to let stress rob our peace and joy. I write, “Sometimes You’re Just Wrong” because that was the only conclusion I could come to when we finally decided to go with this other, “farther” apartment and heard from the owner when we called that it was already taken. I thought, “We were wrong and now we have to live with the consequences. No reason to sulk, but let’s at least admit we were wrong and learn from it”. Thankfully, our telephone Spanish skills are hit-or-miss and we were actually wrong about the apartment being gone. And Lord willing, we’re moving in Monday!