My Ever-Changing View

Walk out my front door, walk to the end of the grass, turn to the left and this is what you will see:

We bought our land on a snowy spring day seven years ago. My husband had been working in this area and dreaming of living here (he loved the view), even though it seemed impossible at the time. He started asking questions at the bank and at the builder's office, and found that it wouldn't be as impossible as we thought, so we jumped in and bought our land and started building. We have loved our view ever since that time.

A few days ago I saw a man walking around on the property across the street from our house--on our view--and I wondered what he was doing. My question was answered yesterday when I drove down the street and saw the zone-change sign announcing that there are plans to build 200 houses on the property--on our view! 200 houses! Stunned is the word to describe how my husband and I feel about this, stunned and saddened. But in the interest of challenging myself, here are 10 reasons that I am thankful for the 200-house development that is going to appear in our view:

1. The lots will be large with custom homes, meaning that our property values will go up.

2. The entrance to the development will be about 1/8 of a mile down the street from our house so traffic won't increase in front of our house.

3. Friends for my kids might live in those houses.

4. Friends for me might live in those houses.

5. There will be a nice park in the development, close enough for us to walk to.

6. Since "the view" slopes down, we will still be able to see our mountains in the distance.

7. My husband, who is a contractor, will have lots of work right around the corner.

8. My boys will have a safe place to ride their bikes.

9. Maybe all that building will force the family of deer that like to loiter in our yard, to head to the hills and stay there.

10.My boys will spend tons of time outside watching all the building going on--they love that sort of thing.

I did it! I had to rack my brain for some of those, but I know that looking for the best in situations, rather than dwelling on the bad, is the only way to have a peaceful heart. It is no wonder that God calls thanksgiving a sacrifice--sometimes it doesn't come that easy!

"I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving..."
-Psalm 116:17

Have a lovely day!