I have a digital photo of my house taken in 1984. I found it on the county records website when I was looking for historical background information on my house for my blog when we were renovating in 2014.
A lot happened to me in 1984. Dennis and I got back together (a long story) at the end of 1983 and married in September 1984. Dennis got saved on my birthday—February 1, 1984 and I got saved on April 25, 1984.
On April 25th of 2025, I had the thought to look at the photo. I thought it was because of the old dogwood trees in the picture. I had been working in the yard and I wanted to see what the dogwoods looked like then, because the trees now are a lot older. This time I looked at the picture and noticed the date stamp on the photo. I had seen the date there before, taking note of the year, but this time I noticed the full date. The date was April 25, 1984.
WOW. It was the same day of the year, though not the same year, of course, as that very moment, that very day in time. 😲
I looked in an old journal and verified that the date I was ‘born again’ was April 25, 1984. The same day, the same year as the photo. Whoa! 😳
Then I recalled that we closed on the purchase of this house near the end of April, 2014. I checked the calendar on my phone. It says “Closed on Main St. house” — April 25th.
Now wait a minute!
(Just so you know, I don’t believe in coincidence…)
So I began to ask the Lord what does all this mean? It wasn’t long before I heard the word “conception.”
What?!
I pondered that for awhile … eventually arriving at the question, “do you mean my conception???”
I was born February 1, 1950. So started counting back from February 1, 40 weeks and I landed within a few days of April 25, 1949. Who’s to say that I wasn’t conceived on April 25th? Even my Mom probably wouldn’t know the exact date, even if she was still here. I’ll just have to take God’s word for it. He would know…
But what does that have to do with this house?
I know the house was built in 1927, but I have no idea exactly when the first owners took possession of the house and moved in. Hmmm. 🤔
What does that have to do with me other than I now own their house?
But the photo marks the day I gave my life to the Lord!
I keep thinking that this house is a birthday gift, a “re-birth-day” gift from God.
That He knew that I would have this house since the day I was conceived.
He knew that I would love this house. And I do.
He knew that in 1984 someone would take the photo on that day. That I would find the photo dated exactly 30 years before the date I bought the house.
AND I would revisit the photo on April 25th.
AMAZING! Oh God! How amazing you are!
Houses are amazing things.
They have a life of their own.
They have relationships with families in time.
How beautiful that can be.
It depends on the house
It depends on the people
My house is loved.
Maybe not always.
But now it is.
🙌❤️🙌