“It’s all Jesus. Not me, and anytime someone tries to give me any credit, I say it’s all His.”  Steve Aceto sat across from his beautiful desk and remarked those word in response to my questions “how do I get where you are?”  His response, while I completely understood as a fellow believer, also left me at a bit of a loss as I was looking for a recipe or at least a grocery list in order to start a career.  At that time, which was 2014, Steve was an excellent attorney and earned a stellar reputation and had a beautiful blue house as an office.

Jim Siemens was kind and gracious enough for me to rent space at his Patton Parker House from 2017-2021.  It was a wonderful experience but he had given me a heads up that this wasn’t going to be forever house, so from about 2018 on, I had my eyes peeled for a house, weekends booked for randomly driving around, and my real estate agent, Greg Palombi, scouring the internet.

I had a couple of visits over the years, but nothing seemed to stick.  Then, in 2021, my friend and mentor, Steve had listed that beautiful big blue house for sale.  He put in our local bar briefs that he was calling it a day and retiring.  He and I stayed in touch over the years dealing in various cases and contacts.  I reached out to him, and he politely thanked me for reaching out, but said that all questions should be sent over to his realtor.

I talked with Greg – and put together as much as I could to make Steve an offer that he definitely could refuse but was the best I could do.  Greg submitted the offer, which was met with a thank you, but we already have several others higher, but Steve would think on it.  A couple days later, Steve sent an email out to all buyers.  “Please put your best, final number and I will make a decision.”  I read his email and thought to myself – Hadn’t I done that already?  We emptied the couch cushions and cobbled up some more money, and sent Steve an email with not just the best number, but a number I could only dream of.  He accepted my offer.

At the closing, I asked Steve about accepting my number when there others more competitive and he said – “we’re all just renting here anyways – this was never mine.”  Again, my jaw dropped.  The consistency of a man who had made those same remarks years ago and then to actually see them lived out in front of me was glorious to witness and be a part of.

As I write this during the holiday season, it reminds me of going to the mall and trying to find that good parking spot up front – and then you see it only for it to be taken away by a minivan at the last moment, don’t you feel robbed?  Robbed of a parking space that was never yours anyways?  Or when you go to your restaurant, and the table you always sit at, someone’s there – and you just want to say “excuse me”?  We have a undeserved sense of entitlement.

To gain the perspective that it was never yours to begin with, but just a blessing for the moment in time when you got to hold it, that is the lesson.  Over the course of my career, I can say that horrible, unexplainable things have happened to really good people.  Guaranteed that anyone reading this can relate.  When you can appreciate that if a good thing happens is an undeserved blessing, and that when something bad happens – well that’s just the tax you pay for walking on this Earth – that’s when you have at least an attitude of gratitude that will help you stomach these problems and endure this time.  In Steve’s perspective, he wouldn’t call the perspective one of gratitude, but of the eternal perspective one has when they have faith that a guy named Jesus Christ took all your faults, bad deeds and mistakes and paid for them with his own life, instead of yours.  When someone’s already paid the bill, you can live rent free.