Giving us the Desires of our Heart

On a cool Thanksgiving Day in 1974, David and Susan Cox left their two children with their grandparents in Kokomo, Indiana while they looked for a rental house in Middletown, Ohio. David had just accepted a position and they had an immediate need to find housing. “We need to be moved here in one week,” said David to his wife, shaking his head as he pulled into the parking lot of his new office. “Where are we going to find a rental or a realtor on Thanksgiving Day?”

He unlocked the front door and strode over to his desk. He and Susan both plopped down on chairs and started to thumb through the local phone book. It was a stab in the dark but they were desperate for housing. One phone call after another resulted in only voice machines on the other end. Time was short and they had to get something right away. Finally they got a real person on the line. A realtor had decided to catch up on some work that day, so he was in his office when the Coxes called. Finding someone to help them on a holiday was the first miracle.


“We need a place to rent in less than a week. Would you help us?” they asked. “Well, I might have one house I could take you to see.” Susan prayed while the two men talked on the phone. She had three desires for a house: an in-ground pool, a fireplace, and no more than $300 a month in rent, a bargain even in the seventies. A few minutes later the Coxes met the realtor at the house.

 Susan gasped when she saw the gorgeous backyard pool. As they toured the house they walked down to the basement where a cozy Franklin wood stove/fireplace heated the room—a perfect playroom for their two children. Holding her breath, she and David inquired about the cost of renting this lovely home. This would be the test to see if the property had their name on it. The realtor looked down at the informational sheet. “Looks like it will rent for three-hundred dollars a month.” The Coxes signed the rental agreement a few moments later.



They had another miracle. Who says God doesn’t give us our heart’s desire? He is our Heavenly Father who graciously blesses us with favor through people. The realtor didn’t have to be working that day, but he was. The home didn’t have to have a pool and a basement, but it did. The rent didn’t have to be only $300, but it was. Today when you pray to your Heavenly Father, remember how He loves to delight His children. Be bold in coming to Him and asking for specific housing needs for your family. He may have the perfect place picked out, but He wants you to trust Him