Sometimes stepping on dog poop is divine guidance

So I'll begin this with two confessions: first is that I've slowed way down on writing, and it feels like I've slowed down on the divine guidance I receive as well. I let someone's comments get to me, and they killed my passion for showing gratitude. It affected me more than I would ever recognize or admit. To succeed at something, you have to wade past the naysayers and their opinions. I haven't succeeded at that.

Secondly, this blog was begun to describe the easter eggs and gems that I find in the scriptures, then explain what I gain from them. This time I'm not doing that - I'm expounding on the gem that I found in life. Not from the scriptures this time, but from life.

Here's the story: I was doing my job - a structural inspection on a home. It was built on a hillside about 30 years ago. The two walls on the slope were showing cracks, and they were in the foundation as well as the masonry (bricks). The home was moving, but it was 30 years old, and the cracks weren't terrible. The home would probably go another 30 years with the cracks either not moving, or in the worst case doubling in size. Even that scenario wasn't too much of a problem. I was leaning toward giving the home a pass.

The client mentioned that there were cracks on the interior walls, so someone went to the front door, then opened the basement sliding door for us so we could get in from the back yard. I checked my feet before going in, and sure enough, dog poop. I tried to clean my shoes  in the grass, but before I knew it, everyone had their shoes off. Despite my foot problems, I inhaled and accepted that I was going to be barefoot for the next 10 minutes.

So now we're all barefoot in the home, and the lady noticed it first. A crack that was now felt in the concrete beneath the carpet. She asked me to feel it, so over I stepped in my socks, and sure enough. Then others found more cracks and holes, even something that felt like a divot. And it's new carpet and new paint. Why is that a problem? Because when the floor is falling and the house is moving, sellers will cover the floor with new carpet and repaint the walls to get the home sold.

He is a biology professor, and she's a professional mom. They don't like risk. They said they didn't like any risk. They decided to not buy the home, based on how broken up the concrete was beneath their feet. Given that factor and the movement in the exterior walls, it was enough.

Had I not stepped in that dog donation, we would never have taken our shoes off. My clients would have bought a home where the home's structural issues would not have been noticed in time. I think it was about a $700,000 home. Not a purchase you want to make a mistake on.

So how does the Lord guide us? Any way he can. And if that guidance involves dog donations? So be it. I think the people doing guidance duty for me probably had a good laugh about that one.