I had been taught that when God wants something done, it is big, it is successful, you win, you do not lose…. so…. to get past any of my “losses”, it was always because He was training me to handle something even bigger, something even more important, something even more wonderful…. 🙂
We opened our wonderful new little 400 square foot Bookstore in 1970 – “The Deeper Life Christian Bookstore” – I was ready. Remember… the store is full of all of the testimony books, all the huge success stories of people who were out there serving God… and winning of course. It was my turn. Whenever and wherever I was invited to give my testimony, people had already been telling me I “should write a book”. Oh yes… I was ready… I was just waiting for God to finish writing the story of my great Christian Bookstore.
So I sat there in my bookstore, waiting for Him to send in the hundreds of people wanting to buy books, and waiting for all the donation checks to mysteriously appear in the mail every day, as God would move on people’s hearts to send us money for our unique and wonderful new ministry.
Only problem was… there were no checks… only an occasional customer and absolutely no cash flow. I no longer had any income. My income had gone to support my 6 kids from my previous marriage and Ellen’s income paid the rent, food and living expenses. Hmmmm… a dilemma… I cry out to the Lord… “What am I supposed to do?”
I am reading the scripture shortly after that and suddenly I read “A man who does not provide for his own, is worse than an infidel.”
I had been talking with another old friend who had recently broken away from his major position in the oil industry. We talked about going into business together… hmmmm….
Next time: the birth of AMNON CORPORATION…
🙂