When God Rewrote My Mortgage
Prayer, Providence, and Property Taxes
In the fall of 2000, I bought my first house. It wasn’t fancy, but it was mine—1,500 square feet of old-house charm, complete with a big backyard and even better neighbors. As a local newspaper reporter, I was pulling in a “journalist’s salary,” which is a lot like a teacher’s salary…but with fewer perks and more city council meetings. Still, by God’s grace, I had a home.
I lived there happily for several months, until tax season rolled around. That’s when a friendly little envelope arrived in the mail. It was my property tax bill. At first, I wasn’t worried. I remembered checking the box for taxes to be included in my escrow. That’s what escrow is for, right?
Wrong.
After a very stressful call with my mortgage company, I learned that the taxes had “inadvertently been left off.” As in, “Surprise! You owe money you absolutely don’t have!”
I didn’t panic…at least not right away. I just sat there. Then I stood up, walked to my bedroom, closed the door, and hit my knees.
"Lord, help me."
That was the prayer. Nothing fancy. No polished language. Just a desperate, honest cry from a guy who didn’t know what else to do.
After praying, I sat for a few minutes trying to gather my thoughts. I remembered the title company who’d helped close the house. I knew the owner personally, so I called her and explained what had happened. I wasn’t angry—I was just out of options.
She listened and said, “Give me a little time. Let me see what I can do.”
Minutes later, she called me back.
“Maury, I’ve got some good news. Number one—interest rates have dropped since you bought your house. I can lock you in at a much lower rate.”
“Okay…” I said, cautiously optimistic.
“And number two—if you refinance, we can roll the taxes in correctly this time, and your monthly payment will stay the same.”
Stay the same.
I was floored. What had started as a financial gut punch had turned into a blessing. God had answered my prayer within a few hours—not just with a bandage, but with a better situation than before.
Some might say that was just luck. But I know better. That wasn’t coincidence—it was kindness. Undeserved, unrequested kindness from a God who listens.
And if I ever forget it, all I have to do is look at that old tax bill.
From the writer:
Sometimes God delivers a “no,” and we wrestle with it. Other times, He gives us a “yes” so quick and clear it stops us in our tracks. That was this moment. It didn’t make me more faithful—it reminded me just how faithful He already is.