what's it mean - 2 quick but true stories..

[rockriver]

story 1. A Caregiver
i visited with a close senior associate who'd had a bad fall and badly broken arm requiring surgery.
senior needed help and inquired about getting help at Church.
the Church had a long list of ladies willing and anxious to care for the sick.
--
senior hired a very nice lady... who has been very competent and very caring. she sings in the choir at a very large prominent Church. i met her and approve of the seniors choice of caregiver.

here's the rest of the story. the lady had been in the real estate business. her husband had been a mortgage broker. they drove mercedes' and livein a very nice up scale neighborhood. and their foreclosure will be final in 2 months. they don't know what they will do.

story 2 Church visit
i went to the large protestant conservative church. i went asking that God would speak to me clearly in the message regarding what He was doing and how it related to me and mine.
a college president spoke briefly. he immediately spoke on recieving a gift of a $100,000,000
bill (currency) from botswana or somewhere? the pres. tried to repay the donor with a gift, but the donor, commented
"sir, don't try to repay me. i have a box full of them. i use them to start fires. they are worthless."
the next speaker was a guest speaker. guest spoke about Christians in other lands being persecuted for their Christian faith. he gave very detailed and specific examples.
this Church and the guest pastor both normally preach "nothing bad will happen to Christians- God will protect and shield them."

i think there are very clear messages to me in both stories.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

God gives us free will. What we do with it is up to us.
Story 1, I didnt live as well and lost our place after my wife lost her job. However we dug in like ticks and are blessed and still living a good life in a rental. In many ways we are better than we have been in a while. Houses are sticks and bricks, thats not what is important.
Story 2, wake up time. God will provide and does. Sometimes it's not reconized till it's too late. He provided us a brain, we need to use it to avoid issues or fix problems.
Good stories, not to be ignored
IMHO

[tarheelsman71]

Even is this economy turns itself around (keep the giggling to yourself) and the muslim jihadi's decide to love us unconditionally, how is it people (even christian people)think that God will turn a blind eye on the people that have forsaken Him. Ruth Graham, (Billy Graham's wife) said that if God did not destroy America, then He owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology! With all the debauchery and lack of a moral compass, our country will become a non issue, not important enough to even be talked about in the book of Revelation. Planning and prepping is all we have going for us.

[barfife]

God gives us free will. What we do with it is up to us.
God will provide and does. Sometimes it's not reconized till it's too late. He provided us a brain, we need to use it to avoid issues or fix problems.
IMHO

Amen to that Matt.

[JayJay]

It's not enough to ask God to guide your footsteps; it helps if you use your feet.