A while ago I sought a valuation on a house we had for sale in the Brother Mountains.
Unfortunately, when I went to the house (A six to eight hour trip) and waited for the agent to arrive at the designated time, he failed to show up.
A telephone call to his office the next day confirmed an alternative time and I waited at the house another day for him. He failed to show up again.
I returned to town and telephoned again, but his secretary insisted that I come in personally to discuss it with him.
Having just driven all night, I chose to telephone a different Real Estate and requested an appraisal (as they were not in a position to provide a full valuation). A time was confirmed and I returned to the house and waited. He also failed to show up. When I contacted him by telephone from the village in the mountains and bemoaned the fact that I had made a special trip, he shrugged it off by claiming that he was no longer interested in domestic properties as he had more than enough rural properties to keep him busy.
I returned to town again and contacted yet another Real Estate Agent (part of a large franchise chain). The agent was not available when I called (twice) and did not return my calls. I located his website on the Internet and requested an appraisal by email. To this also he failed to reply.
I asked the local Real Estate under the same franchise in our town to organise an appraisal by this third illusive Real Estate, and they telephoned him and asked him to contact me, which he did not.
I then sent an email via the Internet to the Real Estate Franchise Head Office and complained. They sent me a reply saying my email would be forwarded to the said Real Estate Agent. I still have not heard back from either of them.
I finally contacted a tiny one-man Real Estate Agency and was given a date for an appraisal. I again went to the house and waited for the agent to arrive at the designated time. (I even telephoned him again in the morning to make sure he had not forgotten).
He was to arrive at 4:00pm. At 6:00pm I telephoned him again and he apologised, saying he had been delayed at a rural property some considerable distance away. He assured me that he would be there "first thing in the morning, before he opened his office".
By 11:00am he still had not arrived and I once again telephoned. He apologised, saying he had forgotten, but would be there later in the day.
He came at around 1:30pm, only FOUR MONTHS after my first frustrating attempt at moving Real estate Agents.
Although I have waited impatiently for the Agent's coming and have been disappointed repeatedly, I know that when Jesus says that He is coming, I don't have to spend $100 on petrol and drive up to the mountains to meet Him. I don't have to wait impatiently with my watch in my hand, wondering if He will show up or not. In fact, He has promised to return (and I believe Him), and He has been courteous enough not to frustrate me with a schedule. He simply said 'soon', and 'occupy until I come'. This sure takes the pressure off my waiting. And even though I want His 'soon' to be sooner, if we are ready, we won't be frustrated or disappointed.
