A Message on Deciding

We're all in the hotel room, packin’ up everything scattered around, still talking business and making plans.  There’s a whole bunch of paperwork, electronics and plugs and laptops, mom’s Nook.  There’s all those bags in the corner by the window of new work clothes and polished shoes.  I ask what the next steps are after we make the offer on the townhouse.  Dad says a home inspection and Heather, why don't you take care of that? 

What??  Me?  Be responsible for a home inspection?   I freeze what I’m doing.  My mind is already swarming full of grown up things... Understanding mortgages, taxes, all the rules, the procedures, making an offer on a house, the etiquette and expectation of starting a full time job, car titles, insurance. 

I realize I need to get over the 'he's kidding, right?' attitude I immediately assumed.  

~

Without much direction and no experience at all, I Google home inspection. What do you do, how do you do it, and how do you pick an inspector? 

I read several sites that state something like 'purchasing a home is an extremely exciting time in your life, but can also be overwhelming (…no joke).  Getting a home inspection is one of the most important things you can do to insure there are no hidden surprises later on down the road.'  There's also an extensive list of what most inspectors check for.   Great… no pressure.

I go in circles, reading reviews, calling inspectors, trying to get a feel for their quality of work.  The priorities change every hour or so.  I want someone with construction experience, no, I want someone with more inspection experience, no, I absolutely need an engineer turned inspector, I need an expert on slab foundations, then there's several guys that do special thermal imaging to identify hidden water damage... Hours... The more I look, the more I start stressing about my decision.  

Who am I going to pick?  Who am I going to trust?  Who is the most expert, the best one, who has prepared himself and is qualified to give me direction on whether I should follow through with purchasing this house?  This is going to be my home.  My place.    My haven, my safety. my home.  How do I make sure that peaceful haven, the oasis I go to to get away from the stress of work, traffic, traveling, not be jeopardized by something being wrong with the physical house itself? 

You know what probably makes the decision even more tough?  Endless options of inspectors, and I have total control over who I pick.  I make the decision and will live with the implications.  Maybe he will find something wrong with the house.  Maybe he'll miss over something wrong that will cause problems in the future.  I make this decision and live with the consequences. 

When I finally decide on an inspector, several hours later I’m thinking to myself… that wasn’t so bad.    I did thorough research, called people, and I acted on my decision.

And, as I think back on the process of finding someone to trust my home with, I think of another way more important decision.

Who am I going to trust with my other home, inside and all around me – my heart, my life, my soul, my purpose? 

Who do I go to and say:

I’m placing my trust in YOU, to lead me in the right direction.  I’ll lean on you when I have questions, problems, uncertainties about life.   I know you’ve been through pain, struggle, and hard work to prepare yourself to be in the position to help me, to save me from wondering around lost in darkness and the unknown.  I’m relying on you, trusting you, I need you, and I can’t do this without you.