Today is the 10th anniversary of one of the biggest blessings I have ever received! In 2004, I was ready to move out of Detroit so I started looking at houses in the Metro Detroit area. As a single mother of two, I did not have the financial means of buying the type of house I wanted. I had basically given up when I saw a commercial for a contest called “Home for the Holidays. CBS Detroit and Centex builders were GIVING away a brand new home!! Having entered (and won) sweepstakes in the past, I knew this was a contest I had to enter. I went online to find out the details of the contest. They were giving away 50 keys in a random drawing from entries submitted at all of the Centex developments. I poked around the website a little more and then it saw it. The house they were giving away. It was beautiful!! It was everything I wanted in a house. I knew I had to enter for real now!! I called Tim and Kyle over. We held hands and prayed and asked God if it was His will, to let us win this house! I asked God not to let me win a key, if I wasn’t going to win the house. I would be heartbroken if I got a key but didn’t win the house. Over the next few weeks, I drove to just about every Centex development in Southeastern MI and submitted an entry form. Now at this point, I told everyone I talked to that this was MY house! I was naming it and claiming it! The week before the contest ended, I drove to the house to see if for myself. As I got closer to the house, I passed a street named “Barr Rd.” Lord, are you trying to tell me something. Then as I turned into the development, there was a street named “BARRington”. I hear you Lord LOL The realtor was late so I got out of the car and walked around the outside. I could see me and my sons living in this house. I could see the boys cutting the grass. I saw myself pulling into the garage. Then the realtor came. She apologized for being late and went to open the door. But I noticed that she had trouble opening the door and it took her a minute to get the door opened. I was the only person who had come to see the house that day so the Realtor pulled out a folding chair, pulled out her phone and told me to take my time looking around. The house was even more beautiful in person!! The first floor of the house had an office, dining room, eat in kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a pantry, a living room with a fireplace and a half bathroom. Upstairs there were four bedrooms, a loft, and a laundry room. The Master Bedroom had an en suite bathroom with separate tub and shower and a HUGE walk in closet. I called my friend Tina Tolliver and I talked to her as I walked through the house. I described every room as if it was already my house. “This will be Tim’s bedroom. He’ll be happy because he has a walking closet.” “Kyle will love his room because it’s got lots of light.” Then I walked into the Master bedroom and screamed!! It was huge!! So much space! I told her “I’m going to put my bed against this wall right here.” Then I walked into the Master bathroom. I loved it! The tub was huge. I told Tina to hold on because I was going to take my shoes off and sit in the tub. And I did!! I sat there imagining what it would be like when I took my first bubble bath :D When I got home, I started calling people and asking them to pray that I would win that house. I had people from California to Atlanta praying for me. About two weeks later, my phone rang. It was CBS telling me that I had won one of the 50 keys. I just started screaming. When I put the phone back up to my ear, the lady said “Ma’am you haven’t won the house, you just won a key.” I said “Oh I know” ;) The next week I had to go to the CBS Studios in Southfield to fill out the paperwork. While I was there, I told everybody I saw that this was going to be my house. And as usual, they just politely smiled. On November 23, 2004, my sons and I drove out to the house to attend the “Key Turn”. We were the first ones there. I told the people from Centex that were in the house setting up that I was OK with them being in my house but I asked them not to leave a mess when they were finished. They just laughed. Oh ye of little faith! By the time the drawing was getting ready to start, only 38 key holders showed up. We filled out a card with our name and contact info. They would randomly draw a card and then that person would go up to the porch. There was a large gold barrel on the porch that contained a bunch of keys. The person would take a key from the barrel and try to open the door. If the door opened, they won the house. Now at this point, I’m a wreck. I am so close to winning this house that I could taste it!! I needed this for my family. I just had to win!! While I was waiting for the drawing I was praying. “Lord, PLEASE let me when this house!” As I was praying Tim comes over and says “Ma, when you get to the barrel, look for the key that doesnt look like any other key.” I said “Boy, get away from me. Don’t you see I’m praying” [there’s a message in that!!!] So they start the drawing. They call the first name. The person goes up to the barrel and selects a key. They put the key in the lock…but the door doesnt open. The crowd seemed disappointed that the person didnt win but I think secretly we were relieved because that meant we still had a chance. :) This continued for about 20 minutes. The 6th person went up. Their key didnt work. The 15th person went up. Their key didnt work. The 25th person went up. Their key didnt work. I was praying my little heart out!! Then I heard them call my name. It felt like time stopped. It seemed like it took me forever to walk those few steps to the porch. When I got to the porch, I faced the barrel. There were SO many keys!! How was going to pick the right key?! I was a nervous wreck! The emcee said that the reason I was taking so long must be because I was praying. I told him to be quiet because I was praying LOL. Then, just like in the movies, I heard Tim’s voice replay in my head “look for the key that doesnt look like any other key.” And then I looked down into the barrel again. Sitting right on top of a stack of keys was a key that didnt look like any other key. The other keys were narrow where this key was wider. I took a deep breath and grabbed the key. I was shaking as I walked to the door. I put the key in the lock. I turned the key and…the door DID NOT open!!! What the what?!! I was like “wait a minute! This is my house. Why isnt this key working?” Then I remembered that the Realtor had trouble opening the door too. So I put the key back into the lock, turned it in the other direction and…THE DOOR OPENED!!!!!!!!! I just started jumping up and down. Tim and Kyle came running into the house. We were hugging each other and jumping up and down at the same time. Then I fell to my knees and thanked the Lord for this wonderful blessing!!! The emcee called us back outside. He asked me how I felt about winning the house. After I caught my breath, I told him that I knew I was going to win. He looked shocked. I told him that I told everybody I knew that I was to win that house. The lady from CBS who handled the paperwork was there. I pointed to her and said “Didnt I tell you I was going to win?!” She smiled and said “She sure did!” 10 years ago today, I selected the winning key that opened the door to my DREAM HOUSE!! It was one of the most exciting days of my life. Every time I think about I am overwhelmed by how life changing this event was. I thank God every day for this house! #WontHeDoIt #ThankfulForThanksgivingBlessings
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 01:31:49 +0000