This Old (Crack) House

My name is Matt and I’m a mortgage broker. (Hiiiiiiiiii Maaaaaaaaaatt!) No, I’m not an addict, however the story that I would like to tell today could be told in any meeting hall in any town across this great land. It all begins with the “American Dream” otherwise known as home ownership. In my 10 years as a mortgage broker, I have helped many people achieve “The Dream”, but this story is about a field of broken dreams. I met “Billy” and “Maria”  six months ago. On the surface, they were “Every Couple”: in love, soon to be wed, hard working. But underneath that shiny exterior was a sinister beast waiting to be unleashed. I met with Billy and his fiancé several times to get all of the paperwork in order on their new home and was always impressed with them. Billy had been at his job for 3 years and seemed to be well liked and respected at work. He worked a second job cleaning office buildings. It was an exciting time for him. He had just secured a couple of new accounts at a local bank which would increase his income.  Maria was also enjoying a promotion at work and the prospects of a wonderful life with Billy. They were always polite and very eager to move into their new home. They became homeowners on October 13th. On November 21st the beast woke up. 

Billy was arrested on November 21st  for a parole violation. He will be spending the next 7 years in prison and will not see this homeownership dream come to fruition. You see, Billy had spent most of the past 20 years in and out of prison because of the beast and it was back with a vengeance. What is the beast you ask? Crack cocaine. Yes, the dreaded C-word had robbed Billy and Maria of their once promising life together. But, this is where I must depart from the story.

As we walk down the road of life we come to many forks. Left? Right? Which way should I go? This question has been posed by many from the beginning of time and believe it or not, I have found the answer.  Listen closely for this will  be the most important information that you will hear from time to eternity. Are you ready?
“Enter through the strait  gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in there. But strait  is the gate and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:13) How simple! This was said by Jesus some 2000 years ago and it still applies even today. Jesus went on to say “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” Why is this significant? Well, if you will allow me to quote Jesus just one more time: “In my Father’s house, there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for YOU.”
That’s where I want to be! Life is like a road. When you go to work, you have to take a road to get there. There were many other streets that you could have traveled down, but you wouldn’t have ended up at work. The choices that we make in life are like picking which road to take.

Yes, sadly, Billy and Maria will end up as a statistic in the pile of foreclosures and bankruptcies, yet it’s not the end of the road on the most important part of their journey.  It’s true that I am at a professional loss as a mortgage broker as this statistic is a mark against my record too, although, honestly, in the end, I could care less about that as there is only one destination that is important and it’s that final destination.

Do you know which road you are traveling?