Lessons Learned in the Furnace
A furnace. That's what it felt like on the asphalt under the red, white, and blue tent on a parking lot in our son's town. So hot you sometimes couldn't breathe.But, remember that perfectionist husband I talked about in a previous blog?; The one that is sometimes irritating? Well, that irritating man saved our lives by rigging up a driveway sensor to allow us to be in the air-conditioned camper some of the time, waiting for a "ding" to go out in the heat and wait on a customer. Nice. I'll take the irritating for advantages like those any time!
This was the all time worst year to sell fireworks. Not only was it extremely hot,the fourth of July was on a Wednesday. Other sellers had told us we would have a low year when it was in the middle of the week. And, to make it the perfect storm, the dry conditions and extreme fire danger made everyone wary of fireworks this year. Our suppliers even said they had never seen anything like it. Now,mind you, we don't do this just for fun. It is 2+ weeks of living in our camper on a parking lot. Lots of the work is physically demanding, and the guys have to take turns sleeping on a cot in the tent every other night. We do it to replace some of the income we lost when we retired. And since we have to pay for the fireworks whether we sell them or not, we really hoped to at least pay all the bills. We came up with a plan in case we lost money, and I really wasn't too worried. I have stopped a lot of that. However, as I was working in that furnace of a fireworks tent, I was praying that we would at least break even.
I remember a story in Daniel about a firey furnace. Remember Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego? They ticked off Nebuchadnezzar the king, by refusing to worship his golden image. He ( Nebuchadnezzar ) told his slaves to pump up the heat about 7 times the regular amount and throw the three of them into the fire. Oh yeah, they were bound too. The king expected them to be burned to death immediately as his soldiers were. But of course they weren't . God sent an angel and saved them from being burned.
Good story. My favorite part of the fiery furnace story though, is what the men tell the king when he is about to put them in the furnace. Daniel 3:17-18 :
"If we are thrown in the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand oh King, But, (and get this, this is the really important part) EVEN IF HE DOES NOT we want you to know, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
How many firey furnaces have you been in lately? Prayed for deliverance? Ever been left there and not rescued? I have. Throughout the course of my life , even since salvation, I have railed at God when He has chosen to leave me in the furnace and let it burn my toes a little. You notice He has never let me burn up, but I do have a number of scars. Most of us have probably been a little mad at God when left in these situations. Maybe a lot mad. Maybe mad enough to turn away from Him a while. THAT's when we must remember Who He is, and What He has promised us. And like our 3 examples from Daniel, we must stand fast.
We still don't know whether we broke even on the fireworks stand. We may be in a financial firey furnace soon. But this time I don't plan to let my feet get burned. I know He has a plan.
This was the all time worst year to sell fireworks. Not only was it extremely hot,the fourth of July was on a Wednesday. Other sellers had told us we would have a low year when it was in the middle of the week. And, to make it the perfect storm, the dry conditions and extreme fire danger made everyone wary of fireworks this year. Our suppliers even said they had never seen anything like it. Now,mind you, we don't do this just for fun. It is 2+ weeks of living in our camper on a parking lot. Lots of the work is physically demanding, and the guys have to take turns sleeping on a cot in the tent every other night. We do it to replace some of the income we lost when we retired. And since we have to pay for the fireworks whether we sell them or not, we really hoped to at least pay all the bills. We came up with a plan in case we lost money, and I really wasn't too worried. I have stopped a lot of that. However, as I was working in that furnace of a fireworks tent, I was praying that we would at least break even.
I remember a story in Daniel about a firey furnace. Remember Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego? They ticked off Nebuchadnezzar the king, by refusing to worship his golden image. He ( Nebuchadnezzar ) told his slaves to pump up the heat about 7 times the regular amount and throw the three of them into the fire. Oh yeah, they were bound too. The king expected them to be burned to death immediately as his soldiers were. But of course they weren't . God sent an angel and saved them from being burned.
Good story. My favorite part of the fiery furnace story though, is what the men tell the king when he is about to put them in the furnace. Daniel 3:17-18 :
"If we are thrown in the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand oh King, But, (and get this, this is the really important part) EVEN IF HE DOES NOT we want you to know, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
How many firey furnaces have you been in lately? Prayed for deliverance? Ever been left there and not rescued? I have. Throughout the course of my life , even since salvation, I have railed at God when He has chosen to leave me in the furnace and let it burn my toes a little. You notice He has never let me burn up, but I do have a number of scars. Most of us have probably been a little mad at God when left in these situations. Maybe a lot mad. Maybe mad enough to turn away from Him a while. THAT's when we must remember Who He is, and What He has promised us. And like our 3 examples from Daniel, we must stand fast.
We still don't know whether we broke even on the fireworks stand. We may be in a financial firey furnace soon. But this time I don't plan to let my feet get burned. I know He has a plan.
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