From Defeat to Divine Provision

Cynthia Lewis is a mortgage industry leader with more than 15 years of experience. Following college in 2003, she quickly set her sights on the real estate industry with one goal in mind – to build wealth.

Cynthia said, “I just learned that if I showed up every day and did the things that I was doing, I could make a lot of money. And in making a lot of money, I could do the things that I wanted to do or I could buy what I wanted to buy. I built this life that I never thought would come to an end.”

However, within a few short years, Cynthia’s world came crashing down. The housing and lending crisis hit and she was unable to support her high spending lifestyle. She had to liquidate her home and several rental properties she could no longer afford.

Cynthia recalled, “It was like a ton of bricks literally just fell on you. I felt shame over identity being tied up in things. I felt shame over the choices I made.”

In 2008, Cynthia moved to Atlanta hoping for new opportunities. She got a job in the financial industry earning a quarter of what she was previously making. Battling depression and overwhelmed with shame, she turned to God. Cynthia said, “I get to a point where I'm like, 'God, what more do you want from me?' And I was on my bathroom floor, and I remember crying out to God. And I just felt like at that point, I, I remember hearing these voices and I remember this voice saying, 'You should just take your life.' Shame, frustration, not being able to rebound and, and just being stuck in this place. In that same moment I immediately heard the voice of God say, 'Come home.' And it was at that point where I was like, 'Lord, I surrender.'”

Cynthia resigned and moved back home with her parents. She started going back to church. Cynthia shared, “I remember battling with, I just gotta get everything back so that I can prove I haven’t lost it all. I can prove that I’m still good. I can prove that I’m successful.”

In 2013, Cynthia joined a new firm where she found many of her co-workers were Christians. They began to pray and study the bible together. Cynthia shared, “And I’m really seeing my relationship with God personally flourish. And it’s getting deeper. I no longer cared about what I made.”

One day, at a church a guest speaker challenged her to trust God with her finances. Cynthia recalled, “And he was like, 'You know, if you believe the word of the Lord, if you trust God, sow this seed and if you sow this seed, you’ll never lack.'”

Cynthia boldly stepped out on faith and gave her last $1,000. Cynthia remembered, “And I had literally just got paid. So it was like, 'Okay Lord, you know it’s gonna be another 12 or 13 days before I get paid again. And this is all I have.' And it was at that moment I stepped out on His words and I was just like, 'Lord I know you’ll take care of me. I know you’ll supply the need. I don’t even care about the excess anymore.'"

Two days later, a stranger blessed her with $500. Enough to take care of her bills until her next paycheck. Cynthia said her ten-year financial struggle was broken. Cynthia shared, “Through tithing, the love of money and what money could do for me naturally broke off me. Now I saw money as resources from God, a resource for the kingdom to further support the kingdom.”

Cynthia started consistently tithing and giving generously. Over the next five years her income dramatically increased with a 35-45% gain every single year. Cynthia said, “I was the number one or top five producer every single year after that. I mean, it just, it's, it's amazing the doors that God began to open. It's amazing how things began to flourish. Everything that I felt that I lost in that season, the Lord began to restore back to me.”

Today, Cynthia is the owner of New Dominion Mortgage, a company set to exceed a million dollars in business revenue. Her salary has doubled from her highest earning year which opened the door for her to buy a new home. Cynthia encourages everyone to give because God will reward your faithfulness. 

Cynthia shared, “If you put it out there, it does come back to you. And it's not necessarily always in a dollar or a tangible amount, but He gives back to you more than you could ever, ever give to Him. And that's why the, the song says you can't beat God's giving no matter how hard you try.”