God Turns Terror into Triumph

God Really Does Turn Terror Into Triumph

As you grow spiritually and learn that God is guiding and directing you through the challenges in your life, that terror you are feeling will quickly change to triumph when you allow God to advise you on the best solution.

The more your fears diminish, the easier it is to hear God speaking to you. The quicker you hear God speaking to you with the solution, the quicker you resolve the issue. IT’S THAT SIMPLE!

With Guidance From God, I Move Into A New Career

Naturally I had to learn this lesson the hard way! After seven years of working 80 hours a week for the homebuilder I mentioned earlier, I decided to move from the management end of building into the selling end.

I became an on-site sales agent for another large homebuilder. I figured if I was going to work that many hours a week I might as well get paid good money for it.

Who Knew Interest Rates Would Skyrocket?

I picked the worst year in the history of housing to become an on-site sales agent! I hadn’t been on the job even a month when interest rates started rising. I watched in bewilderment as the interest rates rose from 8% to 10% to 14% to 16% – all in about a three-month period! How was I supposed to sell houses with interest rates that high?

I spent those three months secluded in my model home with fear gnawing away at me. How was I going to make money if I couldn’t sell houses? How could I sell houses if interest rates were so high?

I Was Consumed With Fear

So I “wandered in the wilderness of uncertainty” for those three months not exactly setting the world on fire with my home sales, not sleeping at night, unable to eat because my stomach was so upset. Believe me, I didn’t hear God speaking to me at all. (Of course not; how could He? My mind was too cluttered with worry to take time to listen to Him.)

I Asked God for Guidance

I truly believed that God DID give me the green light to take this job, so one night before I went to sleep I remembered a Bible verse that helped me in the past, 2 Samuel 22;33: “God is my strength and power, and He maketh my way perfect.”  I told God, “Dear Lord, you guided me to take this job, so I’m accepting that I’m where I’m supposed to be. With rates this high, I’m not sure how anyone will want to buy a house, so please, dear Lord, just show me what to do.”

Can you believe I wasted three months before I said that? Naturally, the minute I said it, things changed dramatically! I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and totally convinced that everything was going to be OK.

As I drove to work, God put the idea into my head that people talk about interest rates, but what they really care about is the monthly mortgage payment. That thought followed me all the way to my model home.

The Perfect Solution Came to Me

That same day a young couple came into my model home to look around – for the third time! Instead of the usual habit I’d fallen into of commiserating about high interest rates, instead I said, “You’ve been in here three times to look at this house; you know you want to buy it. So what’s stopping you?”

Their response was, “We can’t afford this house; just look at the interest rates!”

I said, “Forget rates, let’s talk payment. If I can put you in this house at a payment you can afford, will you buy? Sit down and let me go through the numbers with you.”

That Young Couple Signed a Contract That Day!

They sat down and I pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote down exactly how much cash they would need to buy the home. Then I calculated the monthly mortgage payment they would pay and determined the monthly income they would need to earn to qualify for the loan.

I handed them the sheet of paper and they looked at it with a stunned look on their face. They said, “My gosh! Is that all the cash needed to get into this house? We have more than enough money! And we thought the monthly payment would be much higher than this! And our monthly income is more than this! Heck yeah! If this is what it takes, we’re ready to buy!”

I couldn’t believe it! Was that all it took? I jumped up and said, “Let’s go out and look at available  lots.” I showed them the lots, they made their selection, and I wrote the sales contract that same day! Was I ever grateful for God’s guidance!

I Created a Plan of Action

I thought, “Well, Lord, as usual You knew how to solve this problem. And you were right. People talk about interest rates, but all they really care about is the monthly payment and the cash required to close. This is great!”

I spent the rest of the day creating a sheet for each of the floor plans we offered, breaking down the three things I outlined for this young couple. When I got home I typed up the sheets and took them into the office the next day and ran copies.

Beginning that very day I included these sheets in the package of floor plans I passed out to the visitors to my model home. This incident occurred in November of 1981. In December of that year, I SOLD 25HOMES!

IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1982 I SOLD 42 HOMES, AND WITHIN 12 MONTHS I HAD SOLD 163 HOMES!

The Other Sales Agents Were Angry

You should have heard the other on-site sales agents grumbling about my sales. “Sure Kathy sold more homes than we did. She has the best model…She has the best location…She has…She has…She has…”

I tried to tell them why I sold so many homes, and I offered to give them the information, but they wouldn’t hear it. They were too busy wallowing in envy and anger to take anything from me. After all, they were the “pros” while I was the “new kid on the block.”

Finally the Sales Manager buckled under the pressure and moved me from “the best location” to “the worst location.” This was an old subdivision that only had about 10 lots left to sell, all “dog” lots.

Once Again, I Received Guidance From God

I thanked God for showing me how to sell those remaining 10 lots. I sold every one of them by calling up some of my old customers and telling them, “You’d better hurry! These lots won’t last long! There are only a few left! You’ll never get a chance like this again, because the builder is offering FANTASTIC DEALS!”

I had all of them sold within a month or two. Thank You, dear God, for always guiding and directing me in each job and business venture I have pursued. I feel Your love and blessings always!