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Pray that we yield not to temptation.

Friends,

Here's an inspiriing story for all who may be thinking about becoming a Landlord. I thought I had hear everything but wait until you read what happened to us.

A couple came to us to rent a house that had just become vacant. We were in the midst of remodeling and we agreed to rent to them when we were through which would be a few days. They seemed to love the place and even wanted to have a rent with an option to buy agreement which we were amenable to. The woman was in the midst of a divorce and was selling her home so they wanted to rent for six months and then negotiate a lease option in July. They paid their security deposit and their first month's rent and moved in.

Then the second month's rent came due and I couldn't find them. They began to change phone numbers on me. After hearing that he was in the hospital with a long term leg and hip injury and that's why they couldn't make the appointment I said mail it to me and include the late penalty. The rent check didn't come and didn't come. We have a postal box. I left notes at the house to which they did not respond. So I issued a five day notice to evict which is a demand that they pay up in five days or get a legal court date.

Today, Sunday March 13, I went over to the house one more time as I was out collecting other rent. What I saw I could hardly comprehend.

The front of the house was boarded up as was part of the neighbor's house. There were tire marks all over the yard in front and on one side. bricks, studs, a smashed door and other debris were piled in the front yard. Orange marks and what looked like dark blood was pooled in several places in the front yard and driveway. As I walked up to the house I noticed two dark orange signs in the window. They were from the City Buiding department banning anyone from inhabiting the house. Just then one of the neighbors came by and I could barely believe what he was telling me.

Some fellow named Jerry had come to the house with his SUV and after a violent argument had run into the house and run it into my tenant but didn't manage to kill him. The tenant got his gun and killed the driver. The tenants girl friend tried to ram the van with her car and in soing doing wound up ramming the neighbor's house. As it turns out, and for some reason it didn't turn up in the background check, my tennent Richard and the murdered Jerry were partners in crime. Jerry thought he'd been cheated somehow by Richard and so when Jerry finally got out of prison he tracked Richard down.

Well, Richard was taken by air to a Chicago hospital apparently near death. Jerry is dead and the woman is no place to be found. Also, the story has it that Richard is also a drug dealer.

Anyone for becoming a landlord. I'm sure there is more to come.

Dan L

Dan, What an amazing story!

But I am trying to figure out, which of many very reasonable temptations are you praying not to yield to.

Murder.

Dan L

Well, probably not murder. Maybe we'll just sit on the tenants breathing tube if we can figure out which hospital he landed.

There seems to be structual damage. If so, pray that we can get the house condemned. Then we can get the insurance money and tear down the house. Then sell the property.

Dan L

Dear Dan,

Here are a few quotes.

Before you pray, first forgive all those who have offended you. Then you may pray. Only in this way will your prayer rise up into the presence of God. If you do not forgive, it will simply remain on the earth.
�Aphrahat the Persian

How lovely is prayer and how radiant are its works. Prayer is acceptable to God when it is accompanied by good deeds, and it is heard when it rises out of a spirit of forgiveness. Prayer is always answered when it is pure and sincere. Prayer is powerful when it is suffused with God's vigour.
�Aphrahat the Persian

The sinner,
Matthew Panchisin

Oh Dan, I am sorry. I thought you were just posting something you received in the mail.


God bless you brother. We had a mess at one time too. But nothing like that!

We have a home rented through HUD and are blessed with a delightful tenant that is immacualtely clean.

God in the abundance of your tender mercies make sure everything goes right with Dan concerning his house.

Pani Rose

Lord give us all patience with one another...as You have patience with us! Forgive, have mercy, and save us O Lord...by Your grace and constant love for mankind!

Our Lady of Peace, Queen and Mother of us all---grant us your understanding heart in all our dealings with one another!

In Jesus & Mary,
+Fr. Gregory

djs asked about the nature of the temptation and I gave rather flip answers. I don't want to leave it there given that some may take my answer seriously.

The real temptation for me would be that even if given the chance I might remain silent. After all these years I hope I know Jesus well enough and certainly I have enough saintly examples to know that if given the opportunity I will witness in some the grace of Jesus Christ. If not I would be denying Jesus. I don't wish to do that. How else would this couple repent?

I don't want to sound overly pious but for those who may see this I'm quite serious. I believe God has given us eternal life, His life. He gives us opportunities all of the time to make this life manifest in the world. Those opportunities are the ones I don't wish to miss.

Pray that I not be a coward.

Dan Lauffer

Friends,

We went over to our rental house, the scene of the murder and attempted murder, to have a contractor make a survey of the place and make a bid. While we were there the woman who is on the lease came by to pick up her things and the belongings of her now deceased brother. (Yes, I checked with the police to make certain this was allowable.) As she and a male friend were going through the rooms I could hear her sobbing. I broke away from the contractor and expressed my sympathy over the death of her brother and learned that her brother had moved into the house about a week earlier which of course was illegal. I didn't make an issue of it but I did tell her that I would be praying for her.

I got a chance to talk with the man who was helping her and learned to my surprise that he is her ex-husband. He had impressed me as a man of integrity and great compassion. He told me that he didn't know exactly what had happened with their marriage. That they had been married for 25 years and she just suddenly she wanted to live a wild life. I asked if they were church people and he said that they were.

I offered that I did not understand exactly what God was doing by bringing or keeping him in her life but I would gather it was for a good purpose. I told him that he seemed to be the only really stable person in this whole situation and I prayed that he would remain so and would help his ex-wife find her way back to sanity and back to God.

So, prayers have been answered for me. I did get a chance to witness. He has my card and I invited him to call me. But please keep these people in your prayers. God has some things in store for them I believe.

Dan L

Prayers for the woman and her ex-husband. And for all involved.

Thank you, Dan, for your witness.

John,

I neglected to tell you that while I was there with this group of people my wife called and warned me not to let that crazy woman in the house without notifying the police. I assured her that I had notified the police and that the woman was already in the house. A few minutes later my wife showed up at the house. She told me she was afraid for me I didn't want me to be their by myself.

We've loved and cared for each other for close to 38 years. Its-anice.

Dan L