Encouragement

---

Willingness

As a young person growing up, I was taught to clean the house, cook and generally help out. My dad didn’t make big money, so we were probably lower middle class by today’s standards. The only time I was embarrassed with our financial status was as a freshman (9th grade), when it came time to celebrate our Freshman Prom. I didn’t have “dress clothes” and this was a semi formal affair. The coat that was provided was ill fitting and I was some what uncomfortable with all the other kids in there nice suites.

I bought a bicycle when I was 13 and got a paper route in our small town to help with the family finances. Chuckle, I was about 6 feet tall and weighed 125 lbs. Some mornings the weight of the papers exceeded my ability to control the bicycle; however I delivered my papers with a few times of losing control, until I had delivered enough to reduce the weight of the papers in the front basket. My profits from the paper route gave me pocket money and helped to cloth and buy incidentals for my brother and me.

Next, I got my first real job, the small town grocer, gave me my first job. He taught me invaluable lessons pertaining to a work ethic. In my several years with him, he allowed me to learn each facet of the grocery business. In later years that experience was added to and paid off nicely.

Now, I’m in high school and work at a grocery store about 20 miles away, using all the skills I had learned from my hometown grocer. Again, in a small town, I worked as a meat cutter for about a year in the local grocery stores.

I graduated High School and went into the military, what a change, but my work ethic helped with the rigorous training. During the next 4 years I held several different positions within the medical field I was assigned. Again my work ethic came into play.

Now some 35 years later, I’m retired, on disability and never know what or when I can do something.

How does the word “Willingness”, play into this scenario? Willingness to learn and accept responsibility has served me well. The willingness to accept new challenges and grow from the experience has led me to where I am today.

From a Christian perspective, the willingness to take on roles of responsibility, to be available and willing to do what God directs me to do, have made for enjoyable challenges in my life. Even though I’m handicapped, God burdened my heart to take Matthew 18:20 and build a web site (though I had no web site building experience) for people to come to with prayer needs, to pray for others and a plan of salvation for the unsaved that are drawn to the site. To my awe, this site is drawing people from all over the world to post there prayer needs, pray for others and the plan of salvation has touched lives.

When we are willing to do what ever task is needed, we will be blessed and can walk away knowing we have made a contribution.

In Gods time, not ours !

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE