8/24/2004

WHY DID I BUILD THIS STUPID SIGN?

Today I get to post about a prayer that was answered. As I have already posted previously about my business being out of work, I won’t go into that too much.

I have been praying, a lot. Asking for direction, work, provision, and guidance. And, finding myself very thankful for what God has already done for me. Do you know, if God decided to never provide another dime for me, He already would have provided far more than I deserve?

Coming on the heels of yesterday’s post, I feel almost ashamed that I would ever worry about provision again. As it is, this time, I wasn’t all that worried. Running a business isn’t all that hard, but bringing in business, now that is a feat best not left up to me. So, I do what I can do, the best I can do it, and leave the rest up top God.

A few days ago, I looked at a sign I had made, and hand painted for my business last April. As I looked at it, I seriously wondered again exactly why I made this sign, why it sits at the edge of the road by my house. It is there for anyone with eggs or paintball guns to attack. Believe me, they have.

So, I wondered why I had done it. Why build this stupid sign that would never, ever, bring any business? What was I thinking? The phone doesn’t ring because of the sign, I thought. It rings because of my ad in the yellow pages, or because of “word of mouth”. So I am stuck with this sign, and I cannot for the life of me understand why I built it.

Today, there came a knock on my door, literally. I answered it, and there was an elderly gentleman, asking me if I built custom cabinets? Do I? He told me he stopped because of the sign. I invited him in, and found out he doesn’t just need custom cabinets, he needs an entire kitchen! Now, of course I have to give him an estimate, and I rely heavily upon prayer for those. But it doesn’t matter if I get the job or not. My question has been answered. That’s why I put the sign on the road, SO SOMEONE WOULD SEE IT!!

Hmmmmmmmm……………………………..

I asked God for help today. “Let me know what you wish me to do. Stay in business? Look for a job? Just show me, and I’ll obey.” Do I hope this man is the sign? I know he is, but I am not sure he is the sign I am hoping for. We’ll see. I said I would obey, and I will. That’s going to take a lot more prayer. You guys are the beloved of God.

3 comments:

Tom Reindl said...

Elaine,

Yes, God things ARE great things. I often say, All things God are weird. I am hopeful He wants me to stay in business. However, what He really wants is for me to be holy. I SURRENDER!! Thanks for the encouragement

Tom Reindl said...

MC,

Yes, I emailed you before I posted this, about seven hours prior. Heck, I'm just thankful to get to work on an estimate.

I build all types of cabinets, be they shaker, country, or modern, although building modern, or european is not my favorite. Takes a lot more work to get the same result, which in the end is just a cabinet. I actually prefer to build entertainment centers most, because people are actually willing to pay for them, whereas for cabinets and such, they kind of shake their heads at how much all of this stuff costs to build. And, getting inside of someone's home, tearing it apart, and rebuilding it according to their tastes is what I really like to do.

Thanks for the encouragement, MC. Hope all is going good for you today.

eddie{F} said...

Oh the waiting game ...