Second try?

Second try?

Hello my friends,

Abou two years ago, my employer made it clear that we were all expected to drive a truck for work. Being in the petrolium industry, this was understandable considering that I often had to drive through farm land and forested areas to survey for potential sites and land purchases. Finances were and are a concern. I simply had little reserve to purchase a new vehicle. I had already bought my wife a new SUV and our church needed any donations it could recieve. So I turned to prayer.

My job was literlally on the line: I had to have a truck. So I asked the Lord to help me. A month later, a friend called me and said "I have the perfect truck for you." I went to his business (he is a mechanic) to look. It was a 83' Cheverolet with the big engine (bad for gas mileage but pulls a trailer well) and he offered it for $500! Perfect! Surely a gift of prayer. My job was saved and to this day I have remained.

Here is the problem though: While the truck has worked enough to allow me to maintain my employment, it has been a nightmare in many ways. I have suffered two severaly sprained ankles on two occasions because "Park" no longer secures the vehicle. Try to get out, it begins rolling, and next thing I know I'm sitting on the couch with a bag of ice. Also, my son lost his index finger when we were doing a tune-up and the starter engaged, spinning the cooling fan. It's reliability has also been questionable, leaving me stranded a few times.

You can probably see my dilema. While I have no doubt it was a gift, I need something more reliable and less accident prone. Do I again ask? It is to the point where I have been pinpointed as the employee that needs a new truck. Also, I now often carry clients (who have substantial accounts with us) that demand nicer accomadations than what my old truck can offer. Finances are still a major hurtle. I need to find another good deal. How do I explain to our Lord "Thanks, but I need a little more"?:confused:
 
God says to ask and we shall recieve.
You seem to me very thankful and credit God for what he has given you already.

It certainly isn't selfish to ask again. You're asking for a way to your job that you work to support your family.
God Bless and I'll say a prayer for you too!
 
I agree with Violet 100% on this one. You have certainly given credit where credit is due but it's time to ask again.
 
God helps those who help themselves. Tell your boss to fix the truck or you walk. Tell your union rep about the truck as well. The unmion will fix it faster then your boss will.
 
Update

Well friends, it has been a while. Here is an update (please read the original post). Finally I was asked to meet with my boss and he drew the line. New truck or I am gone. Well, I got very upset and told him in a rather stern manner that I was not paying for it. He retaliated and began rattling off a list of reasons why I was not worth keeping: Easily distracted, long morning and afternoon breaks (which I use for prayer), and he even said I expect "magic" to solve my problems at work and home. At that point I began praying, pleading desperately with the Lord to help me. My boss demanded I leave his office immediately and I began to cry profusely, still praying. His voice rose further, I ignored him and prayed, when suddenly he litteraly grabbed me by my coat and heaved me out the office door. On the floor I prayed still. I was dragged out of the building by three people in a pile of prayer and tears, asked never to return. That was the end of my relations with that company. (I am not sure if this is grounds for a lawsuit)

Two nights later, while I was praying, I heard a terrible noise. It was the sound of that truck rolling over our beloved family pet. How could God do this to me???? I have prayed all my life for help, for a better life, for less troubles. I do not understand why the Lord has given me a bad truck when I wanted a good truck. Clearly those with nice vehicles are blessed, for I am sure Jesus would want everyone to have brand new reliable automobiles! What have I done? I now need help more than ever, we are strained financially, I am unemployed, depression grips the entire family, we want a new house, and I feel I have no where to go. I am afraid to pray for anything more, for I may be cursed again with terrible things. How do I pull my self up and return to the Lord's arms where we can have the things we want to make us happy?
 
I know just how you feel! I wanted some things too. I wanted health insurance so I could get my heart checked out as well as some other issues. I still don't have insurance. An agency here in our county just paid for a mammogram because I had a lump and lots of cancer in my family otherwise I would still not know.
He says this in John 15:18: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me FIRST." (my emphasis on the word first) To me....that's a clear indicator that you belong to Him!!!

We are reduced to living in a dumpy little trailer in a trailer court and we barely make ends meet.
I fight depression too.
What He keeps telling me is this:

John 12:25
The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

He also says.....My grace is sufficient for you.
I truly believe that He is coming soon. I know that the disciple's lives were much harder than mine and so that gives me some comfort. When I read what Paul went through and how he was beaten....whipped (imagine it) over and over from town to town and thrown into prison and shipwrecked etc. etc. I realize that no matter what problems I have.....the greatest gift is Jesus Christ in the midst of our storms.

I know it gets old. I know we get tired and weary and it just hurts sometimes when you see others walking around with their heads held high with wealth and prosperity and comfort while there are those of us who are going without. But Jesus Himself said :


Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
 
Well friends, it has been a while. Here is an update (please read the original post). Finally I was asked to meet with my boss and he drew the line. New truck or I am gone. Well, I got very upset and told him in a rather stern manner that I was not paying for it. He retaliated and began rattling off a list of reasons why I was not worth keeping: Easily distracted, long morning and afternoon breaks (which I use for prayer), and he even said I expect "magic" to solve my problems at work and home. At that point I began praying, pleading desperately with the Lord to help me. My boss demanded I leave his office immediately and I began to cry profusely, still praying. His voice rose further, I ignored him and prayed, when suddenly he litteraly grabbed me by my coat and heaved me out the office door. On the floor I prayed still. I was dragged out of the building by three people in a pile of prayer and tears, asked never to return. That was the end of my relations with that company. (I am not sure if this is grounds for a lawsuit)

Two nights later, while I was praying, I heard a terrible noise. It was the sound of that truck rolling over our beloved family pet. How could God do this to me???? I have prayed all my life for help, for a better life, for less troubles. I do not understand why the Lord has given me a bad truck when I wanted a good truck. Clearly those with nice vehicles are blessed, for I am sure Jesus would want everyone to have brand new reliable automobiles! What have I done? I now need help more than ever, we are strained financially, I am unemployed, depression grips the entire family, we want a new house, and I feel I have no where to go. I am afraid to pray for anything more, for I may be cursed again with terrible things. How do I pull my self up and return to the Lord's arms where we can have the things we want to make us happy?


A man who found a horse was approached by his neighbor as is their custom, and the neighbor asked, “So, what’s new?”

“Well,” said the man who found a horse, "I found a horse! This horse just came up at our farm. He has no markings, rides great, and nobody has even tried to claim him!"

"Oh, that’s GOOD!," said the Neighbor.

"How do you know?..." asked the man who found a horse...


Next day…

The next day the neighbor approached the man who found a horse, as was their custom, and asked, “So, what’s new?”

“Well,” said the man who found a horse, “you remember that horse we found? Well, it kicked my son off and my son broke both of his legs.”

"Oh, that’s BAD!," said the Neighbor.

"How do you know?..." asked the man who found a horse...

Next day…

The next day the neighbor approached the man who found a horse, as was their custom, and asked, “So, what’s new?”

“Well,” said the man who found a horse, “you may remember that horse I found that kicked my son off and broke my son’s legs? Well, I’ll tell you what… as you may recall, we are at war up north, and when the king came to recruit men, my boy was only allowed to stay at home because of his broken legs. He doesn’t have to go to war!”

"Oh, that’s GOOD!," said the Neighbor.

"How do you know?..." asked the man who found a horse...

 
Next day…

The next day the neighbor approached the man who found a horse, as was their custom, and asked, “So, what’s new?”

“Well,” said the man who found a horse, “You remember my son, how after he broke his legs could not go to war? Well, we won the war easily. The enemy gave up without a fight, and now all my neighbors who had sons that faught are rich with the plunder and wages from war, and none of them even had a scratch on them. But, we get nothing because my son could not go to war”

"Oh, that’s BAD!," said the Neighbor.

"How do you know?..." asked the man who found a horse...

Next day…

The next day the neighbor approached the man who found a horse, as was their custom, and asked, “So, what’s new?”

“Well,” said the man who found a horse, “You remember my son who broke his legs, couldn’t go to war, and then did not receive income or plunder from the war? Well, I’ll tell you what happened. Some raiders who heard of the recent wealth in town came in stole all the warriors money! Not only that… many of them were beaten very very badly. But, we were unharmed because my son had broken legs and therefore didn’t go to war, and we had no wealth to take! We were unharmed because of this.”

"Oh, that’s GOOD!," said the Neighbor.

"How do you know?..." asked the man who found a horse...

Next day…

The next day the neighbor approached the man who found a horse, as was their custom, and asked, “So, what’s new?”

“Well,” said the man who found a horse, “You remember my son… he broke his legs on that horse, and he couldn’t’ go to war, so he didn’t get any money, but then we were not harmed by the raiders? Well, the beatings the raiders gave, so I heard, were not as bad as I thought. Just a few bruises here and there, no real major injuries, and the raiders were caught! Now the king has taken SEVEN TIMES the wealth that was stolen and given it back to the soldier and their families! We, still have nothing new accept this horse we found.”

"Oh, that’s BAD!," said the Neighbor.

"How do you know?..." asked the man who found a horse...

Next day…

The next day the neighbor approached the man who found a horse, as was their custom, and asked, “So, what’s new?”

“Well,” said the man who found a horse, “You remember all that has been going on… and how the raiders came in, stole the wealth from war, and then the king returned it seven fold? Well, the money that was taken from the Raiders apparently contained some sort of curse! Every single one of the families who has touched the money is now dreadfully ill, and some have died! But, we remain the same as the day we found the horse. Other than my son’s broken legs, nobody is sick here.”

"Oh, that’s GOOD!," said the Neighbor.

"How do you know?..." asked the man who found a horse...


….

And it goes on… and on…

The point is that circumstance WILL NEVER tell you when things are “good” or when things are “bad.” God has determined our outcome, and someday we will be amazed to see how he took care of us every day, from the very beginning—regardless of what seemed to be.

Do not worry about what you will eat, or drink, or wear. Jesus said that even the heathens seek after these things, but your HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWS what you have need of before you ask.
 
atHISfeet and Judy I will pray for you. Ask God to show you a better way - put in some applications for a better job 3 or 4 times a week- trust in Him to open the right doors.
 
Thanks a mil Bo. I can't work because I have a bad back but I appreciate the prayers anyway!
I am trusting Him. My days are in His hands! :)
 
Thanks a mil Bo. I can't work because I have a bad back but I appreciate the prayers anyway!
I am trusting Him. My days are in His hands! :)

Trust when I say I can relate. I am struggling to get back on my feet after several injuries. God is sovereign and loving - He is our peace and strength.
Blessings in His Name, Larry.
 
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