Robbing the Bank

The closing on our house in Kentucky went super easy, right? Yes. When we put the money into the bank, they told us that it would be released in time for our closing. Yes, that sounded about right considering we had a certified check. They said that there would be a 7 day hold. We put the check in on the 3rd and we closed on the next house on the 14th. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the hold should be off when we needed it.

So, why did the teller at the bank refuse to give me the money (in form of a certified check, of course) when I went to get it the day before our closing? Good question. Apparently, those hold days do not include weekends or holidays. So, according to their calculations, we could not withdraw our money until the Monday after our scheduled closing in Ohio.

I went into Panic Mode. I explained my situation fervently. The teller took pity on me and called the manager out to see what could be done. I did not want to lose the house! Or our interest rate that was locked in only until the day of our closing! The manager reviewed the hold on our check. She agreed that it couldn't be released until after our closing. But...she would talk to the regional manager and see if they could trace the check to make sure it had cleared. She said that she would call me when she knew something.

As soon as I left the bank, I was in prayer. While I was driving, I was in prayer. While I was at my parents house, I was in prayer. While I texted my husband and friends, I was in prayer. Help! Help! Help! We had to have that money! How could we get all this way and then stumble on something so silly? We had the money. It was in the bank. We couldn't touch it though because of a stupid "red-tape" hold???? There was NOTHING I could do about the situation. It was totally and utterly out of my control. And aren't most things? Even things that us mortals like to think we control, isn't it all out of our control? Humans tend to set up this guise of taking care of things, of protecting ourselves, armoring ourselves, etc. But it doesn't matter if you have Superman on your side because you aren't in control! Our choices affect the outcome, most definitely. I should have checked with the bank and scheduled the closing dates differently. But I had a certified check. I didn't see a reason for the hold. And someone I know that works at a bank said that their company only puts a 3 day hold on certified checks. Yes, I should have made a better choice, but the situation I found myself in was out of my control. The funds could have been lost (happened to my friend once when the bank accidentally deposited it into the wrong account) or my identity could have been stolen and my account wiped out. Looking on the bright side, I guess the whole "hold" thing wasn't so bad. Much better than the other frustrating ways to not be able to get ahold of my very OWN money. Hmm, I do own guns. Is it against the law to rob the bank for just your OWN money? Eh, probably. I had better make a wiser choice and not try to handle this on my own. I needed help. Big time!

I was asking for help. Again. I could not do this on my own. I needed help. "Help!" I called to God.

I also called the bank back. God answered in the voice of the bank manager, "It has been taken care of. We have lifted the hold on your check, Mrs. Gaskin. When you come in, we will have the certified check for you." And once more, I was in prayer. A prayer full of thanks, ever so humbled by His love for me. The bank did not have to remove that hold. They had every right legally to not give a damn and hold my money until the next week. Matthew 21:22 reads, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” I am sure most non-believers and especially believers would say that this didn't apply to modern times. How many believers had done so and had not been given what they asked for? Well, I won't dive into that can...all I can say is, "It is true! I can bear witness!" Hallelujah! Amen!

And I skipped all the way to the bank (and left my handgun at home.)