On January 30th, I had an appointment to close on a house I was in the process of buying. I never made it to that appointment. Today I posted a video explaining why. I talk about my experience purchasing a home, why I was buying a house, and what ultimately led me to cancel my contract, two days before closing.
I wouldn’t call myself a “know it all” but when it comes to me, my life, and what I want for my future, I was absolutely a “know it all.” One thing, I knew for sure, was that I had to buy a house by the time I was 25. Why? To prove to myself that I didn’t need a man to get what I want. Despite the countless influences in my life encouraging me to find a man that could provide me with the life I always dreamt of – I wanted to be different, independent, and one step ahead of the curve. May sound admirable, but don’t confuse feminism with pride.
Pride put me and my “know it all” self on a pedestal and controlled my every decision as I worshiped the being that I one day could become, sans a man or even God. Pride put God in a box under my bed, and let me believe that I was in control of my own life.
Thankfully, God gets jealous (Exodus 20:4-5) and he wanted to live in this home I was creating for myself. Ultimately, God showed up, like He always does, and shed light on a couple of areas in my life that needed intense intervention and attention.
First, the Lord wanted to protect me from a life of loneliness. He desires that I live in community and buying this house would only support my reclusive lifestyle even more. God wanted to love me through people.
Secondly, God wanted me to experience what it really looks like to trust Him. He could see my heart and mind were in a constant state of exhaustion. Had I ever truly trusted God? Made a decision without having 5 backups? Made a decision that left me disappointed and with nowhere to go? Had I really ever listened to God? Wait, how do I listen to God? Looks like I had somethings to figure out that were a little more important than the shade of my wood floors…
Third, He wanted back into my house and my heart. He wants to be my ultimate provider so I could take the pressure off of myself. To be independent is a good thing but to be dependent on the Lord, is even better. God wanted to be the ultimate source of love, affection, and support I was deep down, yearning for.
In this video, I recap the whole experience and the blessing that came from one of the most difficult decisions of my life. Since being in Dallas, I feel so blessed. My family is here, I have two KILLER roomies, making new friends, and I’ve really enjoyed my church – I even went alone a couple of times and that is saying a lot for me! lol.
So, here’s to God creating a life for me in Dallas.
Outfit deets below!
Photo credit: Angie Garcia
DENIM SHORTS // BUTTON UP BLOUSE // NECKLACE // PURSE (Similar under $50 here) // SANDALS // EARRINGS // BELT //
11 Comments
Britney Crawley
April 13, 2017 at 12:23 amLove your honesty and your heart, Dani! I clicked over from Instagram stories to watch your video and read this post. Being an adult is not easy and allowing God to guide you towards good friends is such a blessing. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Michelle
April 13, 2017 at 12:44 amI love this! It’s so hard to humble ourselves when everything goes well or we’ve got it down but God steps in and teaches us to trust Him in everything and it always ends up so much better! Your post reminds me of this verse: Proverbs 19:20
Robin
April 13, 2017 at 1:10 amLOVE this video, Dani! Such a sweet message and so relatable — I can be so focused on finances and budgeting, thinking that I’m the one in control; God has several times stripped me of my income to remind me otherwise — and he always provides in the best way. Not always the easiest! But the best because it’s from him, right? Thanks for being so open!
Michelle
April 13, 2017 at 1:20 amLove the post and the video. He truly is the ultimate provider ๐
Ashley
April 13, 2017 at 5:33 amI know it’s been a tough season for you Dani. I’m glad God chose this path for you, because if I had moved to work with you in Jan/Feb I would have gone into DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) and figured out I had Type 1 diabetes all alone in Austin, TX. So, it really did work out for the best. Your decision ultimately helped me, too! =) (I thought about this the other day. Crazy how God works, right)?
alysse
April 13, 2017 at 3:32 pmThis is beautiful, Dani! Thank you for sharing your heart and sharing what the Lord is doing in your life. Living with Brighton looks so fun, enjoy it and keep kicking life in the butt! <3
Alysse
lysseonlife.wordpress.com
Carly
April 13, 2017 at 3:44 pmGorgeous girl inside and out! Thank you so much for being transparent with your readers and for using your life as a testament to us! Youdabest, Dani!
Sally
April 14, 2017 at 12:22 pmThis is amazing, Dani! I really loved how you shared your story with your readers, even though it was and still is tough for you. I absolutely love and appreciate your vulnerability. It can be hard to put your life out on the internet, but you do it so well! Happy Good Friday!
Sweetly, Sally // http://www.sweetlysally.com
Melanie
April 17, 2017 at 5:47 pmi love how honest and real you are. i just started following you recently (found you through Brighton’s blog and insta) and it’s really nice to get to know you better through your blog and YouTube. i feel like i am so petrified of losing my job or losing my “security” that i forget that i have ultimate security in Christ and he’ll take care of me no matter what! great reminder.
Jessica Radle
April 23, 2017 at 12:53 amDani, you are so beautiful. I love your style and channel so much. Keep being you!:)
Colleen Melcolm
April 27, 2017 at 2:49 pmWow this is amazing!! Thank you for being so honest and vulnerable. God is going to bless your faithfulness ๐