God’s Economy

July 3, 2008

Isaiah 55:9 - For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Through a recent experience, I had the opportunity to watch those words come alive and to get a glimpse into how God’s economy can sometimes work.

Several years ago, I was a partner in a small auto dealership. One of our vendors held a contest and as one of the winners I was given the opportunity to choose a gift from their prize catalog.

For some time prior to entering the car business, one of my true passions was cabinetmaking (furniture-making for those of you unfamiliar with that term). I had always wanted to return to this field so I was really pleased to get to choose a new table saw from the prize offerings.

Time constraints and the pressures of trying to build a business kept me from even opening the box.

Yet there was something that kept me from ever getting rid of the thing. I had countless opportunities to sell the thing, to give it away or just throw it in the trash.

But I didn’t. There was no rational reason to keep it - there was just this “something” that wouldn’t let me get rid of it.

So I just kept lugging the thing around - for over 10 years. Still unopened, although the box was really starting to suffer from 10 years of moving, neglect and more than a few re-tapings. With each move came a new resolve on my part to get rid of it.

It just occupied a place in the garage.

And then, several months ago, I happened to come across a post on one of the few forums that I occasionally visit.

It seems that a Christian brother had asked the forum members for some advice. He was in the midst of going through a bankruptcy and had several questions.

Now, for some 10 or 12 years, that was my job in the car world - helping people through bankruptcy. As a result, I had learned a bit more about this than I really wanted.

So I contacted him and we started to communicate over his questions.

Without any prompting from me, in one of his emails he relayed his story of what had happened. Leaving a position in the millwork industry, he had ventured out on his own and started his own company.

And then the housing boom went bust.

Returning to his former trade as a finishing carpenter, he had been able to get occasional work but was unable to accept a lot of the job offers he had been receiving.

You see, when his business venture turned sour, he had sold most of his equipment to raise cash.

He had been forced to sell his table saw.

*****************************

I heard back from him not long ago.

It seems the new table saw worked just fine even though the taped up box had seen better days - and he now had more work than he could accept.

If he doesn’t wear it out, he’s got plans for the table saw when he finishes with it.

He’s going to ask God who he should give it to.