When It Looked Like the Dream Was Dead

There are moments in life when you feel the wind knocked out of you. Moments when everything you've prayed for, worked for, and hoped for feels like it’s being taken away, just as it’s almost within reach.

That was us.

We had found the land. The one we had prayed over, walked on, envisioned our animals on. The one we whispered about at night as we planned The Hammie Ranch. It wasn’t just a piece of property to us—it was a promise. A sacred beginning. A calling.

But then the appraisal came back lower than the asking price.

Our hearts sank. There was a gap between what the bank would lend and what the seller wanted, and no matter how we spun it, we couldn’t make it work. I picked up the phone, heart pounding, and told our realtor the truth: “We can’t afford the gap.”

She fought hard and got the seller to drop the price slightly—but it still wasn’t enough. We went over our numbers again and again. Trevor and I finally sent the message no one wants to write. We thanked her for believing in us, for going above and beyond, and we told her… we couldn’t move forward.

That should’ve been the end of the story.

But God wasn’t done.

Our realtor replied with a line that still gives me chills.

“I’m not ready to give this up.”

She went back to the seller once more. And what happened next was nothing short of a miracle.

The seller turned down a cash offer—more than what we were going to pay. She declined it. She told our realtor that she wanted us to have this land. That she believed in our vision. That she wanted her land to go to a family starting a homestead, building something with faith and purpose.

She lowered the price by $22,000 so we could afford it. Not because she had to, but because her heart was stirred.

That was God. Only God.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

— 2 Corinthians 5:7

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7

We were stunned. Humbled. Overwhelmed. We cried. We praised. We thought—this is it. The breakthrough.

But just when we thought the hardest part was over, another storm rolled in.

The lender came back and told us the bank would only cover the appraised value. Even with the price drop, we were short. The way he explained it made it sound like we’d have to bring more money to closing than we could. The math felt impossible.

I was exhausted. I had broken out in stress rashes. My body was showing signs of the emotional weight we were carrying.

But this is where God used another piece of the puzzle—my dad.

My dad, who speaks the language of numbers better than anyone I know, stepped in. He reviewed every detail and quickly saw the confusion. He simplified the mess and went back to the lender with the numbers broken down clearly.

He asked, “Is this what you’re saying?”

The lender paused and replied, “Technically, yes.”

That one word changed everything.

Because “technically, yes” meant we could do this.

We were back in.

And then, the real miracle happened.

The updated contract came through. The final numbers lined up perfectly. The loan was approved. Our closing was scheduled.

We’re closing next Thursday.

We’ll hold the deed in our hands. Not just to a piece of property—but to a calling. To a dream. To a life we have prayed over for years.

And none of this happened because of us.

It wasn’t cleverness or strategy. It wasn’t networking or negotiation. It wasn’t luck.

It was God’s hand.

He softened hearts. He moved mountains. He shut doors that needed to be shut and flung open the ones we never thought would budge.

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” — Exodus 14:14

This land was meant to be ours. Not because we deserved it. But because He is good. Because He saw the big picture when all we could see were the broken pieces.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” — Proverbs 3:5-6

This land is holy ground to us now.

It’s where we’ll raise animals, grow our food, and build a life of purpose. It’s where we’ll teach our kids to love the land, love the Lord, and love people. It’s where we’ll hold classes and coffee cups and conversations. It’s where dreams will be planted, and faith will take deep root.

And this is only the beginning.

Next Thursday, we step into our promise. We close on the land. We begin the work. We say yes to all God has in store for The Hammie Ranch.

He did it. He really did it.