Article March 5, 2012 Issue

Bad investment reversed

By Sylvia Herczeg

Two young children, one income, and quite a high rent: This was the situation my husband and I found ourselves in years ago when living in Germany. I had always wanted to own a home, but we did not have enough money for a down payment. Instead, we ended up putting our money into real estate funds, or property investments, thinking that this would generate a profit and that it would be a good way to build up our savings and help put our daughters through college. In time, though, it turned out to be a bad financial decision. We lost all of the money, including the principal we had invested. (We later learned that this investment scheme failed to produce the promised return to other original investors, too.)

We were making regular monthly payments on this investment, but in the end, we found we were never even paying any of the principal due on the mortgage that the investment was tied to, so we ended up sinking deeper and deeper into debt. It was frightening. 

I was feeling more and more miserable and blaming myself: Why had we ever decided to do this? I prayed to know that our Father-Mother God doesn’t punish you for something you did innocently and with a pure motive. Instead, God guides you and gives you the right ideas that correct the situation. I have come to understand that if I find myself in the middle of a serious problem, God’s protection is present. Either the problem is resolved right before my eyes, I am lifted out of it, or I am given the thoughts needed to initiate action and bring about a good resolution. 