The Power of Obedience to God: An Amazing True Story
This true story about the power of obedience to God is an excerpt from the book When a House Buys a Person by David Herr.
I couldn’t believe what was coming out of my mouth! I had just taken a call from a friend, Russ Weaver.
“Dave, I want you to come to list my house.” This is a Realtor’s dream call.
Trainers coach us to lead the conversation to something like, “Would you like me to come over tonight at seven, or would tomorrow morning at ten be better?”
Instead, what came out of my mouth was: “Russ, you don’t want to sell your house right now . . . Hang on to it.
We’re in a buyer’s market right now. Besides, it’s October, and the next four months will be slow.”
Two weeks later, Russ called again, “Dave, can you come over and list this house tomorrow night at 7:00?” Seeing his resolve, we booked the meeting.
“I’ll be prepared to discuss a detailed valuation with you.”
“Don’t bother. I already know the price.”
“Oh yeah? How much?”
“$134,000.” This was 1998, and it sounded high, but I hadn’t done the homework yet.
“Oh, and by the way, that’s not what I’m asking; that’s how much we’ll get.”
Matthew 7:24-25 NLT
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”
Obedience to God: The Challenge
The valuation proved to be challenging. Russ’s house was a non-conforming modular home on three acres in a suburban market where site-built homes on a quarter acre are the norm.
After looking at recent sales in the area, tax records, and anything else I could think of, the highest value I could come up with was $114,000. My broker advised you don’t want to list anything above five percent over market value. This rationale got me to a list price of $119,900.
As I walked through the house, it didn’t take long to know this would be a challenging sale.
Russ was adding on a garage, but it was unfinished. It was, and looked like, a project he started a long time ago and abandoned.
Inside was a spacious modular home with an excellent floor plan. However, there were issues. You could look up and see where the two halves joined. Worse yet, looking down, the floors didn’t join smoothly.
Sitting at the kitchen table, I discovered the price was non-negotiable. “But Russ, haven’t I demonstrated that the price should be $119,900?”
“Well, that’s what those papers say, but the Lord told me you would sell it for $134,000.”
Every whit of common sense told me I should walk away from this one. Yet something inside was compelling me to do it Russ’s way.
Again, I couldn’t believe what came out of my mouth: “OK, the price is $134,000.”
We wrote it up and released the marketing team to get the word out. We got the results you would expect on a profoundly overpriced home. Nothing.
After about a month, we had our first showing.
To my delight, the buyer’s agent called and said they were presenting an offer. To my surprise, the offer came in at $121,000.
When presenting it, I reminded Russ and Mary Sue that if the house sold for $114,000, we would have done very well. This offer was $7,000 above that.
“Sounds a little low, doesn’t it?” Russ drawled. “I thought we listed it for $134,000. And what’s this about a buyer’s agent? I want you to sell the house. I guess I left off some details about what the Lord showed me,”
Russ explained. “I had no intention of selling my home. One day while praying for your business, I prayed, ‘Lord, please bless Dave’s business.’”
“The Lord told me, ‘Why don’t you bless his business?’”
“Ok, how do I do that?”
“Have him sell your home.”
“That’s when He told me you would sell the house for $134,000.”
No pressure there! I’ll only let down my friend and God if I don’t sell this home myself, without the help of a co-broke, thus eliminating our most powerful tool – the Multiple Listing Service. The buyer at hand wouldn’t meet our price, so . . . no deal.
Again, another three weeks of painful silence. Then I received a call. A deep female smoker’s voice said, “Tell me what we have to do to buy that house.”
“Would you like an appointment to see it?”
“As soon as possible, please, because that’s the house we’ll buy. We made an appointment.
Russ and Mary Sue wanted to be present when the buyers arrived to meet them. Realtors discourage this, but I’d given up fighting Russ’ ways.
When Sheila and her husband drove up, it became evident that life had been hard on them.
They clamored up the drive in an old, dilapidated truck. Somehow, their faces matched the vehicle, pleasant but displaying heavy wear.
After introductions, we found them genuine and loving. Most remarkable was how transparent they were. Alcohol had ravaged their lives and destroyed their former marriages. Later, I learned that Sheila had hit bottom. She had lost everything, including the roof over her head.
She lived in her car for several months with no job, no money, and no friends. The bottom was the day Social Services snatched away her two daughters, ages nine and eleven, and awarded them to her former husband.
He also wrestled with alcohol but was far better at hiding his problem from the public.
He managed to hold down his job and kept the rent paid. Ultimately, that is what swayed the court’s decision.
James 1:22 NLT
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”
Obedience to God: The Prayers
Sheila was glad the girls had a roof over their heads but prayed daily there could be a different roof for them.
Her former husband was so verbally abusive that the girls cried themselves to sleep almost every night.
They weren’t alone. Sheila cried herself to sleep most nights, as well.
When Sheila hit bottom, she started to make several life-changing decisions. She stopped drinking, got herself cleaned up and landed a job.
Buying a house would be her next significant building block towards a new life.
Sheila’s driving motivation was to become worthy of winning custody of her children.
After getting acquainted, Russ and Mary Sue dismissed themselves. After touring the house, Sheila asked, “What do I have to sign?”
“We could draw up an offer. How much would you like to offer?”
“These are our type of people. I wouldn’t dream of offering a penny less than they are asking.” We wrote it up!
Thrilled, I made an appointment with Russ and Mary Sue to present the full-price offer to them. To my surprise, rather than being elated, Russ looked at me with resigned concern.
“You see? Why didn’t you believe me? It happened just the way the Lord told me. And look at the type of people buying my home! This home will be part of the Lord’s redemption in these people’s lives.”
We went through the escrow process smoothly. Russ went above and beyond all expectations to make the home perfect for the new owners. On his own initiative, he fixed the floors and decided to finish the garage! To my delight and surprise, the appraiser confirmed the value of $134,000.
It turned out that the finished two-car garage was what the appraiser needed to make the valuation work.
We had a smooth closing, and everyone went away happy.
John 15:10-11 NLT
“When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”
Obedience to God: The Hope
About a month later, I got a call from Russ. “I want you to help me with something.”
“The Lord told me to give every penny of the proceeds of the home to Sheila.”
Silence on my end. Russ was not a wealthy man. Those proceeds represented everything he had.
What should I do? Talk him out of it?
“Can you look up exactly how much I walked away with?” At this stage in my career, I didn’t have too many files to look through and quickly answered, “$25,357.”
Then Russ did it! He sent Sheila a check for $25,357. This act of generosity has to be one for the record.
After yet another few months, I got the call of a lifetime. Russ wanted an appointment to have me read a letter he received from Sheila.
In the most passionate language imaginable, Sheila described that after buying the house, they had found a lawyer who could help them reverse the court decision granting her children’s custody to the abusive father.
Their elation was tainted immediately with bitter hopelessness when they discovered the cost involved.
Between attorney and court fees, they would need more than $25,000. On their incomes, this would take years to accumulate.
“But then I got your check!” Sheila hired the attorney and started the process.
Sheila won. The children were happily released to live with their mother, now sober and liberated from the shackles of her addictions.
I could barely make out Sheila’s final line. The ink, smudged by tears, proclaimed: “You bought my children out of hell.”
Matthew 7:7-8 NLT
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
To read more stories about the power of obedience to God from David Herr, visit the Amazon link:https://www.amazon.com/When-House-Buys-Person-Adventures/
Author
David Herr
David and his wife live in Fort Mill, SC, and have four married children. David tells twelve of his favorite stories in his book When a House Buys a Person.
