Trusting God

from Art

I have been around the real estate business for over 50 years now. My dad became a real estate broker in Tempe, Arizona in January 1959, and I decided to get my license in 1971. Since 1971, I have worked in different capacities in the real estate brokerage business… salesperson, manager, general manager, broker, and trainer.

In the early ‘80’s, I was the Executive Vice President of a now defunct, national real estate franchise company when the bottom fell out of the market. With the change in the market, the company had to cut back and my position was eliminated. I told myself that I never wanted to experience that again. After many struggles financially and selling our home in Phoenix, my wife and I decided to make a change and move to Kentucky for a fresh start in 1985. With only $3,000 and a Honda station wagon to our name, my wife, son, and I made the trek across the United States to Northern Kentucky (Greater Cincinnati), not knowing what I would be doing to make a living. The only thing I knew was that I never wanted to get back into the real estate business.

After many months of trying to find myself and going through severe clinical depression, I realized that I needed to do something productive with my life. On a dare, I decided to get back into the real estate business selling and leasing commercial properties in Cincinnati, gradually changing to only residential in Northern Kentucky. Still struggling, in 1990, I was approached by Huff Realty about coming to work for them. When I was interviewed, I told them that I needed a change, so I said yes, as long as they knew that I would only list and sell and would not take on any position in management or training. I told them that I never would do that again. That was on July 1st…I was named Training Director in September of that year. (I needed the money!)

Prior to the announcement of my new position with the company, Jim Huff, the owner, asked me to call Jim Daniels, Executive Director of the Kentucky Real Estate Commission because they wanted me to teach for them. Mr. Huff suggested I call to introduce myself. Mr. Daniels mentioned that all of their classes were scheduled for 1990, so they would not need me until 1991. Before hanging up, I told Mr. Daniels that I could be available if anybody had to cancel. He said that never had happened before, but he would keep it in mind. (This was on a Monday.) That Wednesday (the day it was announced that I was the new Training Director), I received a call from Mr. Daniels telling me that one of his instructors had to cancel due to illness and asked me if I could teach classes on goal setting and time management the next Monday and Tuesday in Paducah and Owensboro. I asked if I could get back to him the next morning. The reason for my delay in answering him was that I had no way to get there because we had no money and a car that could barely make it around the block. What a predicament!!

That evening, my wife and I prayed to God for direction and sensed that I was supposed to accept the offer…not knowing how it would work out. The next morning, I called Mr. Daniels and said yes to the opportunity. Before I could say anything else, he suggested that I drive to Louisville where his office was and that they would take me in a state car, rather than me driving all the way to Paducah. (The first miracle).

Within 10 minutes after my talk with Mr. Daniels, the bookkeeper from Huff Realty came around the corner and asked if I would like to get paid in advance rather than wait until the end of the month. Of course I said yes!! My check was ready in 15 minutes. (The second miracle.)

When I went in to get my check, one of our new managers came in and asked how things were going with me. I told her about my upcoming seminars for the Real Estate Commission. Before I could say anything else, she asked if I wanted to borrow her Cadillac to drive to Louisville. (The third miracle.)

Wow…what a blessing!!! God had provided the way. But the miracles do not end there.

The first seminar was scheduled for Monday evening, so we drove down to Paducah in the morning. The name of the seminar was “TIME OUT for Success” where I first relate seven pitfalls that we all have as real estate agents and how to overcome them. When I got to the pitfall “expecting the worst”, without even thinking, I started relating how clinical depression had affected me a few years earlier to almost a point of suicide (I had never done this before). I also said, “In fact there’s probably someone in this room who is going through this now.”

Shortly afterward we took a break. At the break, numerous people came up to ask questions and I noticed a distinguished-looking gentleman waiting to talk to me. Prior to starting the class again, he asked if he could talk to me after the seminar. After the class, I noticed that he waited until everybody was gone until he approached me again. He said, "I am the man you were talking about. In fact, I wasn’t going to be at this seminar tonight, but somehow ended up coming. You see…I was going to shoot myself this evening. What can I do?”

After the first shock of what was happening, God gave me the perfect words to guide him, realizing that this man was the reason I was there, not the financial blessing of giving the seminar. God was also testing my obedience to Him. From that day forward, I have come to realize that my calling is to reach people who are hurting and to be ready to go anywhere He tells me…no matter the cost. There are so many “successful” people who look good on the outside, but are struggling on the inside.