Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Feeling blessed...



"It has been quite a year for us. I am still trying to get use to working from 10am till 10pm and having little social life... ugh... but when you pray to God for your work to pick up and for others to benefit from it... prayers can be answered and remarkable people can become friends. Tonight a miracle happened right in front of us. God is blessing us in so many ways, I am just feeling so grateful,
tears are flowing.
Never give up on your prayers
and open your heart to receive them!"

Tonight, I posted this as my status on facebook. We have been working from 10am till 10pm. Some days earlier and some days later. I have friends who have given up on me having them to our home for dinner and family who are missing us hosting those big family gatherings. A close friend tonight posted this:


It broke my heart.


These past couple of years our life has been a constant state of reaction. Our business is real estate. It is our livelihood, it is how we pay our bills, it is how we financially exist.

As you all know, the economy fell hard, and so did the real estate business. We saw our income lose a zero, then another zero. We saw friends and colleagues suffer greatly losing their homes, their business, and a few lost their marriages. People suffered, but we continued to survive. We adjusted our work and expenses to the market. We dug deep, worked hard and long hours, and changed our business to accommodate today's modern technology.

At times, I got so sick of stinky abandoned houses
in suffering neighborhoods
where happy families once lived
feeling safe and secure. 

I listened as widows lost their homes after losing their husbands, and all I could do was offer a hug and a prayer. I cried as children left their pets behind and moved into apartments with no outdoor space to run and play. At the same time, I was feeling blessed, blessed to still be working and paying our bills. I even felt numb after a while, then ashamed of myself for feeling that way.

But this past week, we have been blessed with my prayers being answered. Not once, not twice, but three times. Oh, how I have prayed that we would be blessed with work and that our work would bless others. Time and time again, I have closed my eyes, standing in an abandoned home, and prayed to God to bless us, to revive my attitude toward the human race and all of the harm that has been done to families during this recession.

I am grateful to the point of tears. I have hope again and I continue to pray that we will be blessed with work and that our work will bless others. I may ask God for one more blessing...

Dear Lord above,
I pray that you will bless my family with work so that we may be able to pay our bills. I pray that our work will bless others. I also pray that we will be blessed with a long vacation, to Florida. Thank you. 
Amen.

3 comments:

  1. i was in real estate way back in the early 90's, and we have seen this same thing here that you are describing. 2 years ago in one month, our county had 5000 foreclousures. we are still reeling from that and all the things you describe, but it is starting to turn around some.. i have seen a few sold signs and they were rare indeed. we still have many short sales and I have friends who are living on the edge with their mortgages upside down. God's blessing on your business and your daily lives. you are an inspiration

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  2. ooohhhh jackie, i didn't know your business. i got tears then chills as i read your entry.

    we mange income property/commercial rentals that we bought/invested in over the years. we have done very well and are always at 100% occupancy. we work long and sometime strange hours, because we can. often if the sun is out, on a nice day, we will load the bikes and go for a ride.....or a mid-day swim in the pool. on those days we often work till 10 pm to make up for the hours we played.

    i feel extremely blessed and i am so happy to hear that things are better for you!!

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  3. I'm a new follower from mid-Missouri, near Columbia. I'm not sure how how I found your blog, but I'm glad I did, you have a very nice blog. I'll be back, come visit me when you have time! And, I will whisper a pray that your business does well and that you will get the work you need.

    Enjoy your weekend and Happy Thanksgiving to you!
    Cheryl

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