Memoirs of a Christian Entrepreneur: The Thunderstorm Miracle
Several years ago I had an amazing experience on a jobsite that was nothing short of a miracle. I was working with two other guys on an inground pool project during the ‘dog days’ of summer. It was mid afternoon and we were working to complete a portion of the job that would be absolutely destroyed if it rained. But there was no rain in the forecast and we were making good progress....no worries right? At least until we heard a clap of thunder in the distance.
If you know anything about concrete work you know perfectly well what that sound does to your blood pressure in situations like this. I immediately stopped what I was doing and looked up to discover the other two guys glaring at me with that ‘deer in the headlights' look. Within 5 minutes the storm was right on top of us, the thunder was so loud it was rattling the windows, and the rain was starting to fall.
Now let me tell you a little bit about the two guys I was working with. One was a great friend whom I attend church with. We relished the idea of working together because, if you work construction at all, you know that many of the guys in that field aren’t exactly uplifting to work around. The other guy pretty much fell into that category. He was a great dude, but not exactly on the straight and narrow (I ain’t judging, I’m just sayin’).
So the rain is really starting to come down and I started barking orders to get everything covered up. We all scrambled to preserve what had taken us three days to accomplish when the bottom just fell out. It was a torrential downpour. At that point I don’t know what went through my mind but I just looked at the guys and said “Stop! We’re going to pray.”
So here we are, three guys standing in a downpour with lightning touching down all around us while our work is on the verge of utter ruin and we decide we’re going to pray. Probably not the first thing that comes to mind....huh? That's what the one guy was thinking because he looked at me and said “What! You’ve got to be freaking crazy!” We rather enthusiastically encourage him to stand in and he reluctantly walked over shaking his head in disgust, but he did join us.
By the time we finished the prayer the rain had stopped and within 30 seconds the clouds had parted and the sun was shining. The job was fine. I kid you not!
What do you think was going though the guys mind?
I can tell you exactly what was going through his mind because he shared it with us.
He said that it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen in his life. That it was an absolute miracle and any doubts he had about the reality of God were resolved because he had seen His work first hand. Talk about a wake-up call!
Why am I writing this?
The short answer is to bring glory to God. The long answer is because I believe that Christian Business Owners have a unique opportunity to bless the lives of others and to accomplish God’s work. I consider this experience sacred because, along with many other experiences, it has helped sure the foundation of my faith. But it is only one small example of the miracles that can occur and the impact that we can have on people’s lives if we are willing to exercise our faith within the parameters of our businesses. I’m not talking about preaching it; I’m talking about living it. No, we’re not perfect and yes, we all screw up. But that’s not the point. The point is that every day we have chances to exercise our faith. Whether it’s during a rainstorm on a jobsite, on a difficult phone call with a client, or in making key strategic decisions for the future of our business, God wants to be involved. He will work miracles that will bless our lives as well as those around us.
What awesome experiences have you had in your life or in your business?
