6 Nov, 2008
Woman Buys Foreclosed Home and Gives It BackDALLAS — A Texas woman went to a housing auction distraught about the prospect of watching strangers bid on her foreclosed home.
Then one of those strangers bought it back for her.
Now Tracy Orr can return to her Pottsboro home, making payments to the woman who unexpectedly and impulsively bought it for her.
"It means so much to all of us," Orr told Dallas television station WFAA. "It's not just a house."
Marilyn Mock said she was acting on instinct on Saturday when she decided to buy a house she had never seen for a woman she had never met. Mock was at the foreclosure auction to help her 27-year-old son bid on a house when she struck up a conversation with Orr, who was crying about losing her home.
Orr had bought the house for $80,000 in 2004 but fell behind on the payments. She lost her job a month after taking out the loan, and earlier this year she lost the house. On the spot, Mock decided to buy it, eventually bidding $30,000.
"She didn't even know if I had a job or was a nut case," Orr said in a story for Wednesday's online edition of The Dallas Morning News. "She didn't even see a picture of the house."
Mock told a crying Orr she could stay in the house, making payments to her instead of a bank.
"She needed help. That was it," Mock told the newspaper. "I just happened to be there and anybody else would have done the same thing."
Orr said she hopes others will do as Mock did.
"More than my house, she gave me something inside, and that's more important than material or financial things," she said.
Article courtesy of Foxnews.com
You gave THAT away?
Acts 4:32-35
They Had Everything in Common
32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. (ESV)
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us?
The book of Acts gives us such a cool picture of the early church. These early Christians were profoundly impacted by the teaching of Jesus - so much that it affected all of their daily actions. They were unified in heart and mind, and incredibly generous. Jesus' followers were willing to give up their own personal belongings for the sake of the community. Also, they trusted their leadership - the apostles - to distribute the wealth as needed. In verse 35, we see a very specific example of how this was lived out:
"For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."
Wow! Followers of Christ, we are called to this same type of behavior.
How can we connect God's Story scripture to our lives?
In our culture today, this kind of generosity is harder to see. We tend to hold on tight to what is ours. And yet, as followers of Jesus, we should always seek ways to bless those around us. Here are a few more scripture verses that teach us how to be generous in our giving:
- Give to others quietly and without seeking praise.
"When you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do ... in the streets, that they may be praised by others." (Matthew 6:2) - Give to others generously
"The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." (2 Cor 9:6) - Give to others cheerfully
"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Cor 9:7)
How can we connect today's story, God's Story, and our story to others?
When was the last time you gave a gift without expecting anything in return?
Maybe you don't have enough money to buy someone a house ... that's OK. It's likely not the real need of the friends around you. But your friends DO have real needs, and it takes a special person to be paying attention to what those might be. Challenge yourself:
- Be on the lookout for your friend's "real need" - maybe it's lunch money, or a ride home, or help with homework.
- Once you've identified the need, find a way to meet the need - even if it costs you something. Note: sometimes the "need" requires time, and often our time is the hardest to give.
- Expect nothing in return, just praise God for the opportunity to serve one of His children. After all, everything we have is His to begin with!
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