It's actually a followup on a previous post of mine about a rental house I bought. It was a cool story of how Jesus blessed me richly when I was trying to get a good deal on a rental property that I wanted to refurbish. Well, this is the conclusion of that story.
After we closed on the house, which was about a 3-4 weeks later, we immediately started the rehab. And by we, I mean my contractor. However, I was there at the house every day...sometimes twice a day making decisions, answering questions, solving problems, delivering supplies, writing checks, you name it. Whew! I was in a hurry though to get it finished, cleaned and listed for rent because the end of August was really close and a lot of people like to move at the end of the month. I really wanted to get it listed in time for someone who might have needed it September 1st. One month of missed rent is a big deal on the bottom line too.
Okay...so we bang this house out in 1 week. And that is 6 straight days of 6am-10pm hours with the last day ending at 2am because carpet was being delivered. Side note: they usually don't work those kinds of crazy hours, and despite what it may sound like...I'm not a slave-driver. However, they had a tight schedule and so did I, so there you go. After carpet is laid and a final cleaning, it's ready for rent. How close are we to the end of the month? Ack! Too close. About 2-3 days left. Oh well. Let's see what happens.
Now comes the exhausting part...if managing a rehab is not exhausting. Getting called all day long from potential renters, who you are trying to interview as candidates without letting them know that's what you're doing. Scheduling showings in between working, school pickup, other appointments, evening & school commitments...spending enough time with each renter to get a feel for them...managing the insecurity of "Did I price this too high? How does my house compare to others?" After 1-2 weeks of constant showings with no bites, I start to wonder. What should I do? Stick to my guns? Lower the price? I had it priced on the high end because our rehab guy did an absolutely fantastic job. It looked better than I imagined it would, so I thought I might be able to get a higher rent. First week of September is down now, with nothing. So I lower the price. My thinking is that if people want it by October 1st, they should be biting with an application soon. I don't want to squander good potentials because I have it priced too high. I am sharing my thoughts with my good friend who also has rental properties. I told her it was making me a bit nervous, waiting on God to provide the right family for that house, but I knew the wait was good for me.
A couple days later, she calls and wants to pray with me about the house. What a blessing she is! I say sure, and she goes on to explain that the last house she bought she anointed with oil and prayed over it. Hmmm....I have never done that before. I mean, I have prayed over every house either while I was in it or while I was thinking about it...praying for the people who would live there. But I've never anointed anything. I'm not opposed to it, I've just not done it. It there something specific you're supposed to say? Is it the same as praying? I know what it means...Set Apart for God's Purpose...and that's what I want this house to be. I want it to serve Him well and bring glory to him by the way I use it and by the people who live there. So, I invite her over to the house and it's just her and me. She has a bottle of oil from her house, and all she did was dot a bit on the door and window frames while she prayed for the house, it's protection, for the people, etc. Similar to what I was already doing prayer-wise, but with the biblical significance of adding the oil & asking God to set this house apart for His purpose.
It was such a joy praying with her. She didn't have to do that for me...but boy did it bless me. So, now there is oil on the door posts. Everyone who walks in and out of that place is walking underneath prayer. That is a cool picture.
Next morning. Phone rings. Again. Another renter wants to see the house, but they are on a tight schedule and want to see it right now...if I'm available of course. Well normally I am not because I have myself pretty booked up, but I actually had that whole morning free and was just cleaning house and doing laundry. So, I said okay and met them there. So, now the interviewing starts. Why are you moving? What do you do? Where are you from? Let me show you around. But I don't make it sound bulleted like that. Just like a normal conversation. After all of that, I learn that they are believers and are very faithful to a local church. She has been a Christian for years...and he has been one for 3 weeks. Come again? 3 Weeks? Turns out, she has been praying for him to recognize who God is and His power to save, and through all his ups and downs and a big emotional low, his eyes were opened to what his life was missing. Jesus!
So cool! It wasn't just their story that moved me, but also just the way they were. They were different than others I had seen. Oh, and the kicker....their lease expires in 4 days. They need the house immediately! Whoa. How did God do that? Well, the rest is history. We signed the lease the next day and they started moving in that night. Now, when I imagine them at that house, living with their kids, doing life, I imagine that oil that has not been washed off...that they are walking under (unknowingly) every time they enter a room. Those prayers now live there, just like they do. Thank you Jesus for that gift to them that they don't even know about.
