Fairy Dust

Launching a career in real estate in the midst of our present economic condition (won't I be glad to retire THAT overused phrase as soon as possible?) may not be the most optimal timing possible. Skip the champagne and the big send-off and just get the ship in the water, captain! Ya know?

A few friends have been more concerned than supportive. One, in particular, basically told me (in so many words) that I'm just plain stupid -- TWICE! I'm pretty sure my dad has decided there's no hope for me and what he sees as my constant stream of "unwise" decisions!

But I've done enough soul searching to know I'm where I'm supposed to be, doing what I'm supposed to be doing. Houses are just "my thing"! Besides, it's intriguing, sanctioned, voyeuristic trespassing! Too fun! And it doesn't even clutter up the house like my beloved decorating magazines do!

I've been reading quite a bit lately -- hyping myself up on lots of personal success and real estate strategy books. Trying to keep the right attitude. Trying to do it all "right". Trying to be as successful at real estate as are my idols and mentors who have demonstrated for me that it can be done -- even now, in this recession.

Wrapped in a swarm of enthusiastic thoughts, I drove home from work one day last week, sort of communing with and talking along the way to God (such a tiny word for such a HUGE, awesome, ungraspable concept, isn't it?).

"Ok God, like I really need this to go well. I'm doing everything I can think of to bring about my own success but a little divine guidance or a Godly tip or two would go a long way." That sort of thing. I guess I'm a little confrontational and not too terribly reverent with God. But that's just me. I've concluded that He probably understands that (cuz I am the way he made me, right?).

This long miserable winter has been a very overdone production, in my opinion. Snow that loiters for days on end is a rare occurance around here. But the white(turning to gray and black!) stuff has persistently lingered -- like the smell of ripe sneakers! And then every few days (and sometimes several times a day) the flakes start to swirl down again -- just for extra seasoning I suppose! I've even forgotten what that big fireball in the sky is called. But I do believe that, even as we suffer and shiver, God is up to something, conjuring up blessings for us. "All things work together for good..." and all that variety of unfathomable grace!

On this particular day, that yellow thing up above had made a brief appearance and there was even blue stuff up there with it! As I drove along in the winter-drab landscape, communing with the Higher Power on the subject of real estate success, I flung out to the universe something of a challenge. "Ok... so what's the magic formula that can make this all work?"

The instant the thought germinated in my mind, faster than an answer could have been spoken, a cloud of sparkling, shimmering, "fairy dust" the size of a small swarm of bees flittered down onto my windshield. Woosh! God's glitter! I froze, looked around, and waited hopefully to see if anything else would happen. Nothing did, but the fairy dust had been enough.

I know that a gust of wind came along and blew the snow off a tree branch and it settled down toward my car with sunshine illuminating the sparkle factor, but the timing was too perfect NOT to just KNOW that it was an answer to my thought. I believe that, while capable of dramatic miracles, God tends to work quietly within the systems He created most of the time. Why wouldn't he use snow and wind and sunlight to encourage us?

Simply, subtly, I had been granted the magic I requested -- by God, by the trees, by the snow and the wind and the sunshine. I was shown, in a magical moment words really can't capture, that benevolent cosmic forces want good for me. I was granted confirmation that my "foolish" path is really the RIGHT path. God endorsed me. I know it.

Now, all you naysayers, GET OUT OF MY WAY! YOU JUST WATCH ME!