After the first month of owning rental units, the next few years would prove to be routine. Our work had its share of drama and heartburn, but nothing out of the usual. Tenants fought one another, we had several more evictions, a stack of judgments we were never able to collect upon, a squatter in the basement that used the oven as heat, and the usual monthly $1,000 gas bill in the winter for one of the houses. That house is heated by a boiler. It is quite the sight as its smoke and steam belches out rhythmic puffs in honor to the gods. When our property manager saw it for the first time, he thought he was supposed to bow down and worship it. We think the thing is heretical too.

Prices began to rise in the area, and we decided it was time to move on. We were breaking even on paper, but only if we considered our time as free. We put the two houses on the market. We entered into a lease purchase agreement with a buyer, but right when we thought our troubles were over, that’s when things really went downhill.

The buyer took possession of all the units but decided not to pay. Greg and I were at odds during the legal process. He wanted to turn the other cheek while I wanted to fight for revenge and justice. It was painful for us to submit to the legal process and to get along when we had different ideas on how to approach the situation. It’s not like someone was taking a few months of free rent, as we were already used to; it was so much bigger than that. In the end, we walked away from a five figure judgment (seven, if you are counting the change too) in exchange for our keys, which of course, belonged to us already. I was pushing the issue on principle. The feelings on my part went far beyond the money, though truthfully, I like money far more than I should.

There were a lot of words and anger on my part. It was often projected onto Greg unjustly. When it was over, Greg asked the defendant why he was doing this to us. He smirked and replied, “It’s just business.” But it was incredibly personal to me.

From Contentment: A Godly Woman’s Adornment (HT: Challies) comes these thoughts on being right, contentment, and getting your own way. Read it slowly:

We will never know contentment in Christ if we seek him as a divine referee, however unfairly we may have been treated. His work in our lives is not about making sure we get the maximum benefits in the here and now, even when we are entitled to those benefits. In fact, real contentment often comes when we willingly embrace the loss of them.

The second thing Jesus does is reveal the spirit of covetousness that underlies most of our prayers about obtaining our share. […] We will never find contentment—freedom from that angry feeling of unfairness—by getting the things that are rightfully ours. We will find it by letting go of our entitlement to them.

When I was thinking about telling this story, I planned to tell you in detail about how right I was, but in the end, I chose to tell you how wrong I am. It’s not something I’ve overcome; it seems I find myself fighting daily the need for justice in everything from headline crime to a stolen parking spot. Sometimes it’s not about winning, but about letting go.