There's a heavenly phone directory? You gotta hear this story of mine! LOL!

[MBTcustom]

I have a certain client who has come by the shop twice. He is a very measured, kind man who is a brother in Christ. We hit it off immediately, but I forgot to save his phone number.
Later he called me for advice, and it was very good to hear from him, but again, I was distracted and didn't write down his phone number. This fellow told me that if I ever have need of a bead blaster, that I should call him as he has a very nice one.
Well, here I am in desperate need of a beadblaster to blast the top of a Marlin levergun I am restoring for a member here.
I ransacked the place looking for his card, or an email, or anything, and I finally resigned myself to the fact that my bad record keeping has bit me in the buns again.

That was yesterday.
Today I fried my bacon and eggs, prayed with my wife over the food, and commenced to eat my breakfast. As I sat there munching, I decided to pray that God would have this man call me today. Not a demand, but he is a Brother, and he and God know eachother well, and dad gum it, if it was my mother who had his number saved, I wouldn't hesitate to ask her for help, and wouldn't doubt for a second that she would come through for me.
So I just prayed and asked.
Five minutes later my phone rang. Before I even answered it, I knew who it must be, and sure enough this fellow that has been to my shop twice and whom I have only had two phone conversations with, none of which was more recent than two months ago.....said "hello Tim" on the other end of the line. (I halfway expected him to tell me that he heard I need some help!")

I told him, "you're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you."
He said, "well, im sitting down".
I said, "I know I shouldn't be surprised, but I just prayed to God that you would call me not five minutes ago, because I need your help, and I can't find you number anywhere!"

Speaking of which, I think I'll write that number down right now so I don't have to take too much advantage of The Heavenly Phone Directory.

He was calling to invite the wife and I out to dinner at his place, and given the circumstances, I accepted!

Hah! God bless all of you!

[Bo1]

GOD Is good Tim, and he does answer prayers, no matter how trivial. Praise GOD.
Bo

[Bzcraig]

Thanks for the reminder that God does want to be involved in ALL the details of life.

[Ajax]

God works in mysterious ways. He may want you and this man to be better friends and form a closer bond.

Andy

[pmer]

One time I had an ankle therapy appointment and work was tying me up so I was running late. The therapist had cancel/miss policy that would leave you out after 2 cancel/misses. I knew I was going to be late but prayed and simply handed the situation over to God and with calm faith hit the road. I made with almost 5 minutes to spare! It was rush hour, about 25 miles of freeway with the last 40 miles of divided highway with allot of traffic lights. Every light was green each freeway through the twin cities was moving good. I planned for a 2 hour trip but left about 40 minutes late because of the service call at work and still made it on time. I was amazed at the strength of prayer and never would made that on my own. (based on over 20 years of field service in the twin-cities)

It was humbling to me. And no, haven't used my "get out of traffic prayer" since then. Incidentally that humble, faithful "God will provide" mode of thought I'm sure put me in front of two of the three deer I got during the harvest last fall. My 16 pointer is truly a God based deer.

May His grace be with you all.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I wonder how many things I miss out on because I don't ask for help.Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened.

[MBTcustom]

Things like this really give me an overwhelming sense of calm (if I care to accept it as more than mere coincidence that is). All of the things I'm trying to do and feeling like I'm barely making it, and getting more and more stressed all the time, trying to do what I simply don't have the strength to do, then God lets me know his hand is and was, on the plow on top of mine the whole time.

I've been getting really stressed out in my business lately, and I feel like there is more being asked of me than I can do. I'm behind and trying to get caught back up, and in the mean time we have recently experienced a bitter betrayal from a close and trusted friend, that just took the legs right out from under us.

Yesterday, we went ahead and had dinner with this feller and his wife, and it turns out, he doesn't work for the business that has the beadblaster, he own's it.
He has been exactly where I am, he is a Christian, he is a professional, and he is successful. Exactly the person I have been needing to talk to.
He was more than willing to help be beadblast the firearm I need done, but more than that, when I asked him how he kept from losing his mind, or the love if the business, he had a double earful of good advice for me on how to prioritize my time to be more effective. Not just for the business, but for my wife, my daughter, and my church.
I was sure to listen to everything he said too, because I figured it must be pretty important.

[DRNurse1]

So, He was trying to get your attention from the first phone call, right? I think you did well to catch on so quickly. I have had an encounter or two and it took me A LOT LONGER to catch on, and there are probably some in progress.

[DLCTEX]

Such answers of prayer should be commonplace for us believers. It has happened for me many times. But I must confess to falling back into the almost unbelieving mode all too quickly. When the chips are down, He is faithful to remind me. Just having gone through six weeks of the shingles keeping me almost bedfast and therefore having little income, I have been so appreciative of His faithfulness in meeting my needs so generously. All bills paid and gained weight from eating so well.

[catmandu]

Tim,
It's exciting when God moves, and He is definitely in control.
But sometimes when He doesn't we can learn more. That He has something better in store.

He is not a formula to be followed to get a result. He's bigger than that.

He answers All prayers.
YES - When he has a gift for us.
Maybe (later) - when He wants to work in us.
No - When He wants to work thru us.

I'm a slow learner, just glad He's still teaching me.

Paul in WNY

[Wayne Smith]

Tim, as you now know there is nothing to 'trivial' for God to care about. He marks the falling of the sparrow, how much more does He care for his children. Christ tried to teach us that and we still try to do it ourselves. "Daily walking close to thee" is just that, relying on God instead of self. It's not that I do nothing, it is that I trust in nothing I do.

[BNE]

Cool stuff. I like it when God sends us those little reminders that HE is in control and cares for the little "needs" that we worry about.

Thanks for sharing your reminder from God with us.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

WOW goodsteel! That was great that you followed through and visited that guy. You got the advice that you needed, when you needed it. Now, you have to remember it and put it to use.

[sniper]

Tim:
A marvelous faith-builder!
Some may be amused, but there are too many "coincidences" just like that for them to be coincidences!

Many future experiences! HE loved us, so HE sent His Son, and the Son is risen!

[MBTcustom]

Yeah. One of the big pieces of advice the guy gave me was to quit working on Sunday. He said that not only was it a very clearly taught biblical principle, but that if I keep up the pace I'm at now and never take a break, then life will make sure that I have a darn good reason to rest for a while.....and not in a good way. He said it actually makes a man more productive with the rest of his time if he will keep the Lords day Holy, and do no work.
I hate to say it, but I think he's right. It seems so foreign to me to just do nothing for a whole day especially if that nothing encompasses my leisure time working on my guns and projects. It just hit me all of a sudden that I have never done that. I think it's been 5 years since I just......took a day to rest. Somehow I don't think I'm one single step ahead, or one nickle richer for it either.
Hmmmm lot's to think about.
Tonight, I had a client come by and drop off a bunch of guns. He asked me what my hours were, and for the first time since I have been open for business (really not that long), I told him that "we are closed on Sunday".
Now comes the hard part.....actually banning myself from the shop and the guns for 24 hours. It feels wrong wrong wrong to do that, but I think it's the right thing to do.
I'm just going to make it happen, and I think the wisdom or the foolishness of it will become very apparent in a short period of time.

[RED333]

Made my day Tim, thanks much.

Thank You Lord for another day.

[Sweetpea]

Tim, I personally try my dangdest not to work on Sundays...

I don't attend church, God and I are good, but I have issues with religions...

I have had some occasions when I have driven out of town for work on a Sunday, but just to be there first thing on Monday.

When I built my house, I never worked on it on a Sunday.

My personal feelings are, spend time with your guns, if you want... BUT take your family to the range, IIRC recreation is not forbidden.

Brandon

[s mac]

I also try to refrain from working on Sunday, although with a small farm it's not always possible. It seems like things break when I do.

[AlaskanGuy]

Bless you tim... A lesson well learned... Keeping of the saboth, praying for guidance, the lord is moving in your life.... Just need to keep listening.... Try to avoid the moments when the lord has t use a 2x4 to get your attention.... I just hate the 2 x 4 moments that can sometimes last longer then a moment... I rather enjoy the gentle whisper in my ear or tug on my shirt moments much more, and try to pay attention better... The 2x4 moments tend to be more of a shout of "HEY YOU, you aint listening".....

Blessings to you sir.

AG

[w5pv]

Tim and the guys thanks for the above post helps me to remember who is Lord Jesus Christ

[MBTcustom]

I don't think God ever wants to use a 2x4 on us. I think he is willing to do whatever it takes to get our attention and maybe spare us the loss of our soul by allowing the loss of worldly things.
I ignorred the Lord for a short time after coming to know him, and He showed me how dangerous it is to ignor His gentle nudges, by allowing me to make the worst mistakes I have ever made.
After that, I try to keep my ear to the ground. I listen. God is very very patient with me, as long as im listening.
Doesn't mean I get it right all the time, but I'm trying as best I know how.
God responds with gentleness, and good things. The only downside is that this creates more and more opportunities for me to be distracted, confused, or to just take my finger off my number.
I think He always gives me just a little more rope than I need, ya know?
It's like every blessing comes with a warning label.
Like this call here. It was just so awesome the way that played out, but I got to thinking, what's the catch? Why did this happen this special way? I think that in this case, if I do not heed the gentile nudge here, then the next time it will be the 2X4.
So, to quote an old hymn:

You alone are my strength, my shield.
To you alone may my spirit yield.

[Boaz]

If you look God gives us gifts and miracles every day . It torments me that most parents now don't to see the gift God has given them in their children . I'v always loved kids and enjoy my two , to a great extent your relationship with them is what you make it . My youngest (daughter) is 14 and she has given me more than I could ever give back .
Picture of her at three years old , caught her first fish , I sent he picture into the newspaper and they ran it in the sports section .

http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g353/chuckr1952/romanarrowheads002.jpg (http://s1097.photobucket.com/user/chuckr1952/media/romanarrowheads002.jpg.html)

She is older now but still likes to fish for crappie, LOL

http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g353/chuckr1952/fishing014.jpg (http://s1097.photobucket.com/user/chuckr1952/media/fishing014.jpg.html)

She owns six guns from 22s to a 50 cal blackpowder rifle and loves to shoot .

http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g353/chuckr1952/rangenov132011013.jpg (http://s1097.photobucket.com/user/chuckr1952/media/rangenov132011013.jpg.html)

Get these gifts of God out and enjoy them , we think we are teaching them but they teach us just as much .

[s mac]

Good job Boaz, you words are so true. It's easy to get caught up in making a living, we need to keep our priorities in the right place. Enjoy every day as it come.

[goofyoldfart]

Boaz: you have a beautiful Daughter. and I see that she is wearing her cross even as she reaches for her ramrod8-) God Bless to you and yours. Goofy

[bear67]

Tim
I really used to worry about working on Sunday too. My livestock had to be fed and the boars turned in with sows and regular things, but I could make it to Church and spend time with my then young family. But when hay needed bailing or a crop was ready to harvest--Sundays became another work day for a while.
We were in a small West Texas town and a retired minister was a member of our church and a friend. We had about a section of wheat to combine yet and a wet norther was forecast for early in the week. On Saturday night, my retired neighbor called and said he was driving a grain truck for me tomorrow. I said that I appreciated it, but it was Sunday. He said he knew my wife (relief truck driver) was in the hospital and that part of my families livelyhood was invested in that wheat so he was sure that if my ox was in the ditch, so was his and he would help out until it was in the elevator. He finished by saying that we would both have to rest and pray twice as hard the Sundays we were not removing oxen from ditches. I have always tried to observe Sundays as the Lords day and spend my time wisely. But as long as I was farming, there were days that the ox came first.

At my age now, I look back and I can not remember days at work, but I can remember days spent with my family. Invest your time now and have no regrets later.

[44minimum]

I am late reading this and offering my input, but my father taught me from an early age that it's best not to work on Sundays. He was a mechanic, and he told me that just about anytime he tried to work on something on Sundays, he would drop a tiny part into the crankcase, a bolt head would snap off, he would not be able to find the correct tool to fix whatever he was working on, the air compressor would quit on him, there would be some type of a problem arise to complicate things much more than they needed to be. He told me this, and when I got to be eight, nine, 10 years old and began working on my own vehicles (go karts and dirt bikes) I found this to be true pretty quickly. If I was trying to fix a flat on a motorcycle, I would end up pinching the tube as I was putting the tire back on. I would drop parts into the dirt and not be able to find them. I would have my vehicle all fixed up except for one tiny part that I needed, but the store that offer this part was not open on Sunday. It was always just little things like that, but after what my father had told me and experiencing it a few times myself, I mostly let the repairs wait. Unless I really really wanted to ride that day. And then sometimes it worked out, sometimes not.

[retread]

To Tim and all who replied, your words gave me a gift I needed tonight. God Bless you all.

[butch2570]

Tim:
A marvelous faith-builder!
Some may be amused, but there are too many "coincidences" just like that for them to be coincidences!

Many future experiences! HE loved us, so HE sent His Son, and the Son is risen!
I am just about 42 I injured a disc in my back at the age of 18 lifting a large piece of steel, not a day has went by in the 21 years after that , that the pain ever stopped I have worked months on end that I rolled out of bed and could barely get my socks on , but I had two kids a wife and bills , I had to work period. One day a parts guy was picking up a hydraulic cylinder at work to have it rebuilt and asked if I would load the part for him , I was all hunched over and had been that way for at least 2 months I could not stand upright. DAVID was the gentlemans name [ that's no joke ] he said you look to be in horrible pain my friend, I said yes sir i'm a mess , David said would you be offended if I called on the LORD for you? I said no sir , I would be delighted if you done that for me , a co worker was present also ,we all took our hats off and David called on the LORD to ease my pain and make me [ GOOD AS NEW] were his exact words, in among one of the most pristine prayers I ever heard a man pray. About a week went by , my back pain started easing up, another week went by and my pain was totally gone and I was upright and doing what i wanted to do , For the first time in 21 YEARS, that has now been 3 pain free years ago and I have not seen David since , I wonder about him alot , because I know he was a GOD SEND just for me . Thank You LORD: may you have the Glory.. I believe in coincidences, but this was not one of them, but I Believe in man called JESUS more than anything else and I am sure some of you can relate to my story with a miracle that GOD has done for you as well..

[MBTcustom]

It gets better my friends.
I told you about the man that called me when I prayed, I told you about the man that got me out of the shop that first Sunday.
I still have not worked on Sunday, and I have committed to tithe 10% of my business profits. I was really strapped for cash recently so I liquidated an old IRA I had at my last job 10 years ago. I gave 10% of it to the church.
I told Angie "I know it's a lot of money now, but I need God to give me enough money to sustain us. This is nothing compared to that".

Well fellers, things are getting busier and busier and I am struggling to keep up with all the details. I need a better system for keeping my books because I have lost a couple things, and taxes this year were a nightmare (I had to hire a CPA).
I told Angie "I have got to get organized, but I skipped all the business classes in college! I had my nose in the shop all the time!"

Last month, I came home and Angie told me somebody had run into her car at wal-mart. She didn't call the police because there didn't appear to be any damage but she and the girl that hit her exchanged phone numbers. Of course I told her how foolish she was etc etc etc.
Last week, I came home and Angie wasn't here. I jumped right to work on the guns and had been praying all day that God would somehow provide me someone who could teach me how to keep good records and run a business on the paper side.
Well, about an hour later, Angie pulls up and another car pulls up behind her. She tells me that it's the girl who ran into her car at walmart and that she had just bought them ice cream, and Angie had invited her to stay for dinner.
Oh great.
I told her I was glad she was here, and happy to meet her, but that I had a lot to do, and had to keep working.
Later, my 4 year old came out to the shop pulling this young lady by the hand wanting to show her the shop (the young ladies name is Alison.)
I talked to her for a minute and showed her the shop, and explained what I do.
She said "that's awesome! I have a small venture I am working on as well! I'm hoping I can help small businesses come up with a business plan to keep their books. I think there's a real market for such a thing."

[histed]

ok, Tim, if I hadn't seen God do things like this in my own life, this would be crazy scary. However, since I've seen this happen, my only reply is that we serve an AWESOME God. This was in the works even before you asked. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these (other) things will be added unto you." Think He might be telling you He's pleased with your decisions and your faithfulness in keeping them?

[MBTcustom]

Alison just left. She designed me a system for keeping my books and keeping all the projects straight and in order so that I can work more effectively. She designed one sheet that will cover 99% of all my business. Just fill it out, and staple all the important stuff to it. It's almost like a traveler for each project.
She also showed me how to keep track of money that was owed and/or recieved on each job and how to keep track of it as it moves through the shop.
She also bought me a receipt book, and showed me how to keep the carbon copy with the paperwork etc etc etc.
My head is swimming. I'm in information overload right now, but I am very excited because this is going to save my rear in so many ways.
The point is, she's darn good at this! She is going to meet with me every Wednesday to make sure I am keeping things moving in an orderly fashion (paper wise that is).
When she first came over, she told me she charges $25 per session:shock:
I paid her $100 cash last time, and another $50 tonight.
She's a Godsend.......literally!

I told her "I sure am glad you ran into Angie at walmart!" LOL!

[DLCTEX]

Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

[44minimum]

That's great to hear. Kinda makes you wonder how many things like this happen to us every month, or even every week that we don't even notice. Even inconsequential little things, seemingly coincidences that occur just at the right moment to make things all work out. I'm going to try to be more aware of things like this in my own life. Might be interesting to even write them down as they happen.

[Scout800a]

That's great to hear. Kinda makes you wonder how many things like this happen to us every month, or even every week that we don't even notice. Even inconsequential little things, seemingly coincidences that occur just at the right moment to make things all work out. I'm going to try to be more aware of things like this in my own life. Might be interesting to even write them down as they happen.


+1

I enjoyed this thread. I wonder how many times I've tried to go it alone when I could have had help for the asking.