I’ve been employed as a laborer for almost a whole month. It’s been good.In addition to the semi-steady pruning boy gig with Son & Dad Tree Service Inc, the CEO has brought me a host of various provisions via small labor jobs.
My friend Jackie Carr in Jones County is adding on to his house and he hires me every so often when a third set of hands are needed. My neighbor Mr. Buckley has hired me to take a mesquite tree down in his yard among other spring-related odd jobs that he no longer has the ability to do (I took this gig on pro-bono status, but he wouldn’t have it). And last but not least, last week I reprised my role as Handy-Boy with an out-of-the blue call from Bill, a guy I worked for last September. We built a fence, my first time to do so. I think I could possibly build my own now. My backyard fence is in desperate need of replacing.
I say the CEO brought me these jobs because I did not seek out any of them. These jobs all came to me via random phone calls and/or random visits. Part of this testimony was mentioned a few weeks back. I credit the CEO instead of coincidence.
And now, the rest of the story.
Currently, we’re about 22 days behind on our mortgage. This is not my norm. I always pay bills early. I have no other debts and I don’t borrow money. But creditors love me because that “credit score” thing of mine (which has got to be kin to the mark of the beast) is ridiculously high. So, I have a good record.
But for the third time in a year we are falling behind on this large monthly bill. The CEO guided us through the storm the first two times and we came out unscratched. I’m sure he’ll do it again. If anything, we're convinced he placed us here in this house, in this neighborhood, at this appointed time. Why would our time be invested here for four years all to throw it away?
We prayed in late February for the means to pay it. The CEO has answered with a plethora of odd jobs. So far we’ve managed to keep up with utilities and other expenses like food. But we never have enough to pay the mortgage.
Here’s the clincher: We are due an extremely large tax rebate from the IRS at any moment. And it couldn’t come soon enough. Funny how if you owe the IRS, they’re threatening to cut off your nut and steal your first born. But when the IRS owes YOU it’s like “we’ll send it when we damn well feel like.”
According to wherethehellsmyrebate.com it should be here by April 10. But that date seems to magically move back a week every time I check. Plus, the IRS owed me something like $45 two years ago. And I never got it. I don’t trust them.
If the universe worked according to my plan, that tax rebate would be in my hands now. We could catch up on mortgage for several months. We could FIX the dozens of little things around our house that keep breaking for the last several months. On top of all of that plus the pruning gig, we could easily get though mid summer financially, maybe beyond.
But perhaps there’s a different way the CEO will deliver us this time. Which wouldn’t surprise me as he has always used methods beyond my predictions.
Then again, if the universe operated to my liking, I’d be rich as hell, yet living as I do now. Maybe with an old beater pick-up so I could actually take on odd jobs more consistently. Then use the rest of the money to secretly bless the needs of neighbors and fund The Table.
But that would be way too predictable for he CEO. Perhaps a better life than this will occur.
CEO: please deliver us from the storm that is brewing around the delinquency of our mortgage payment. Please bring the tax rebate now, or perhaps some better unknown provision. Thank you.
9 comments:
first, it is good to see that jesus takes care of someone.
second, re: tax man/woman.
you got it right about how if you owe them it was due yesterday but if they owe you ... well, "see we got this unethical illegal war, plus we are filling the pockets of our buddies at KBR..."
i got nailed for a 2000 Cal State return in which i guess i missed by $200. they sent a letter. but i was in canada and i guess they don't send stuff out of state. so i move back in 04 and have a bill of $2000 after fees, penalties, and interest. i argue and fight and all the while the penalties and interest adds up. now they have won and are taking it out of my pay check. thanks Gov. Arnie.
anyway, my point is, if the mistake was theirs, like say they took too much (oh wait, they always do hence the RETURN) do you think i would get interest on that? frick no.
bastards.
You are on my prayer list today. God is hearing about this from other places besides yours.
Imagine if the world worked like In The Beginning. The Creator God makes humans in His image and puts them in a world of PLENTY. And as long as humanity lives like The Creator God is in charge, they have all they need (which apparently does not include clothes).
But the humans insisted on taking over. And every empire we have ever constructed has run on the ideal of SCARCITY instead of PLENTY. We are takers rather than givers. But bearing the Creator God's image involves giving sacrificially.
If humans went to work everyday with the ideal of putting everything into the communal pot, and the deacons in the community were to distribute from the pot as all have need, then there would still be the same amount in the world God made, but it would be PLENTY for all.
This is my little sermonette for the day. I need to post it on my own site. And it only marginally touches your post, but you did bring up how you would like the world to operate. And it will not operate either to your or my liking, at least not today.
So, in the meantime, I hear ya. I am praying for your needs too.
Many blessings...
And PS, be sure and report on the surprise the Lord has in store for this need when he finally makes his move. As we are sure he will...
Agent X
Thank you for expressing your outlook on the whole CEO/Agent thing. It helped me lay aside my anger at God and better accept that a Higher Power works in my life every day.
When I was blogging on my "Stories from the Street" blog - I apppreciated your comments.
I haven't written there in a while - those memories come and go - I try towrite them down as they come.
ok, back to your point. I was not capable of conceiving the life waiting for me when I turned my will over to the care of a power greater than myself. Anything I could have asked for would pale in comparison to what I got.
I am pretty sure that the CEO has a master plan and my phone calls about what I think should happen next will only get in the way.
So the only thing I ask for now is knowledge of the CEO's will for me and the power to carry it out.
Blessings on you and your family
Agent Brother,
I am calling out ot the Father of provision to open His storehouses for you. But more than your mortgage. I am blessed by The Table. I pray that the desire of your heart in this area come to pass now. I pray there is no more waiting for the big check or wondering about the "how". We too have a desire to reach out to those we are commanded to reach out to. We too have memories of that "golden" Jesus present in the room ministry. We too long to see a "new" yet ancient intimacy of the presence of God in relationships birthed in this region.
I am working on the concept for a resource center here in Little Californa (the city presntly known as Clyde).
I decree the provision for your family is as sure as the seed you have sown in fertile ground. It cannot help but rise in the spring of now. No weapon of storm will rob you of the provision th CEO has for you. Trust Him.
With love for your family
Nurse
Mike (construction man): yea, you have no idea of my feelings towards the IRS, that non US entity headquartered in Puerto Rico. My advice: get you a good accountant who is a practicing jew. Jews are historically notorious for a) finding legal loopholes and b) exploiting them to the fullest. Suckers.
X: thanks for your prayer(s) and for your confidence in the CEO.
Barbara: an honor to have you stop by. Agent Wife stumbled upon your "Stories from the Street" blog a while back. I'm a big fan. I recently deleted it from my bloglines because, as you said, you haven't written there in a while. I thought you abandoned it or something. Please keep it up, and keep in touch.
Tang: I like the nickname "Little California". I'm curious how you came to that. Thanks for your prayers. And all the best on the resource center thing. As of two years ago, Lil' Cally had a resource center across the street from your church. It was the result of your former pastor merging (getting rid of) the benevolent branch of your church and an existing resource center. Don't know if it still exists. Hope you can do that soon.
Clyde, at one time, possibly the turn of the century, was abundantly fruitful. Pear orchards, peaches, pecan orchards, pomegrante, grapes, Portuguese immigrants settled here to grow grapes and make a the vino. Hence the old timers call it, "little california." Now we have metal buildings and meth abundantly, you might have heard of the stabbing we had of a young mother a while back. She was my daughter's teacher. Anyway, I feel it time to reclaim the abundance. Reclaim the fruit. Bring hope to the hopeless. You know. Community Resource is barely there. The building flooded and it was donated to KLF. We want to take it to another level. Distribute the clothes, actually have a soup kitchen, the husband is the chef. There is a recording studio next door , our musically inclined will record from. I want to establish a medical clinic. Pipe dream? Our church meets in homes and the jr high. Our money is going to light bills for the needy, the resource center, a prayer building. We are not going to build a church building. We feel called to restore a community. Maybe you and wife agent can come up and help launch or share, or just eat and we'll host a jam session. We are listed.
Trueblood- Clyde.
Could you describe "The Table" in a little more detail? Like how much space and what kind of space you would need, etc.
Anon:
I should make an updated post on The Table. I'll do that soon.
But to quickly answer your questions:
Space? Any size will do (never despise small beginnings, I say). Probably a small 8-10 table cafe (like Ann's Thai Kitchen) would be a good start. But that would probably get outgrown in a month...
Kind of space? well, as far as location I definitely want to be in the poverty zone (Butternut would be killer, outskirts of downtown, Hickory St., N or S 1st, etc).
If money was no object (and I assume it's not in the CEO's hands) I'd just find a good size building in a favorable location and renovate it with an industrial kitchen, cafe, and stage.
But more realistically, a building with an existing functional kitchen that's not off the beaten path of the poor would be fine.
Thanks for asking.
Glad to hear your work is going well.
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