Piece of Heaven by Deedra Dahlager

Have you ever searched and dreamed for something you deeply desired then suddenly it was right there before you?  Perhaps this was a time when you had struggles and unending searches but in the end you found what you desired and were grateful.  Here is the story of my search and the feelings of gratitude I experienced when I found what I was looking for. 

Country living in Iowa was one of my most blessed experiences as a child on my parents’ farm.  That kind of living was something I deeply desired to experience again.  For months my husband meticulously scanned realtor sites and newspapers looking for country acreages.  We had been through numerous homes and completed even more “drive bys”, but each time we left the properties less than excited about what we’d seen. 

One Sunday after church, we picked up a newspaper to check for acreage open houses.  Of all the listings, only one was hosting an open house that day.  We had several hours until it started, so we jumped in the car and did several “drive bys” of other listings.  Once again, none showed promise. 

As the time approached for the one open house of the day, we drove to the property.  In our hearts, I don’t think either of us thought this property would be any different from the rest.  But then we saw it.  The home was nestled up on a hill behind a grove of majestic pine trees.  It was a gorgeous, blue two-story house.  We were speechless. 


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I remember walking through the front door and instantly falling in love with the hardwood floors, pocket doors, old counterweight windows, and coziness of the rooms.  I pictured having a family there with small voices and padded feet coming down the hall.  I recall wondering what the other browsers were thinking as they made their way through the house and whether or not they would place an offer.  My heart skipped a little faster as my husband had a look come over his face that seemed to say, “I think we’ve found something here.”

We stepped outside to look over the lawn and the view.  The property was surrounded by fields and the nearest neighbor was a half mile away.  It was absolutely breathtaking.  We were snapped back into reality as we continued to watch vehicle after vehicle pull into the yard to look at the home.  We knew that if this place was going to be ours, we needed to act quickly.  We called our realtor that evening and she agreed to meet us at the home the next day.  Within forty-eight hours, we were signing paperwork to take ownership of our amazing find!

Our current home was put on the market and sold within one week.  We had two weeks to paint our new home, box up our things and gently let our old home go.  As with any change in life, the letting go part was most difficult.

My husband and I moved to our acreage last summer on a muggy July day.  Our moving crew, consisting of my family, several friends and co-workers, methodically carried box after box into our “new” 1926 character filled farmhouse. 

My niece and nephews sprinted through the house on a self-guided tour discovering a walk-up attic, laundry shoot, and sun drenched porch on which to sprawl with their toys.  The women soon took to the kitchen, organizing the pantry and visualizing homes for pots, pans and cereal boxes.  The men communicated in grunts as they pushed heavy furniture up the stairs.  Little by little, our house turned into a home.  I needed a moment to take it all in so I stepped outside.

My dear friend was walking the property with her husband.  She made her way over to me and said, “You’ve got a little piece of heaven here.”  I stood there in that moment, soaking up the eloquence of the scenery.  I looked over the gentle rolling fields surrounding us, the tall pines to the north and west, a bright red barn just down the gravel road.  She was right.

“You’ve got a little piece of heaven” often comes to me as I leave the house in the morning and am welcomed by the sun rising over the field.  I often stop to linger for a moment as I appreciate the serenity of it all.  No matter the day, no matter the season, this little piece of heaven nourishes my soul.  Gratitude fills me as I recall how it all so seamlessly unfolded. 


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What has been your journey to gratitude?  Maybe it was finding a committed love relationship after a trail of heartbreak.  Or perhaps after working several unfulfilling jobs, you landed the “dream job.”  Whatever your voyage, when gratitude overwhelms you, savor it.  Give it a home in your heart and come home everyday.