Memoirs of a Christian Entrepreneur: A Lesson from Moses
Ok, Here’s the scenario: Years ago I had an inground pool project that was not going well. We had poured concrete around a pool that frankly didn’t meet our standards so I decided to remove and replace it. Yep, the dreaded jackhammer! Upon ‘breaking’ the news to the customer, he adamantly expressed concern that he had lost confidence in our company as a result of this incident. I tried to tell him that we volunteered to correct the problem before he was even aware of it, but unfortunately this did little to comfort him. Notwithstanding, I had comfort in knowing we were doing the right thing. I was confident that in the end he would be happy with us as well as his pool so I wasn’t too concerned….until the next day when I received a phone call from one of my guys.
The Dreaded Phone Call
Apparently while removing the concrete, one stroke of the sledge hammer had missed its mark and struck the pool just above the water line. The pool was damaged, and in a ‘perfect spot’ that was highly visible. The blemish was solely cosmetic and it would not affect the pool structurally, but this was not a pleasant phone call for either party nonetheless!
The solution was to install waterline tile on the pool that would cover the defect and give the customer a free upgrade. A win-win right? Well, I had my doubts. Especially considering that I now had to tell a customer, who I promised less than 48 hours ago that we would be “incident free” that we have just smacked the side of his pool with a sledge hammer.
Unfortunately, I knew that if I broke news to him on the phone he would probably not allow us back on the job. So I resolved to tell him in person….and I knew I had to tell him quickly. But catching up with this guy within the next 24 hours would be tough. Especially considering that I didn’t find out about the problem until late that day, I lived an hour and a half away, and he would be leaving for work the next morning at 5:30 am. Call me crazy, but after some fervent prayer I resolved to spend the night at the office and to make sure I was sitting in his driveway waiting for him when he left for work the next morning.
A Long Night
Needless to say I didn’t sleep well that night. When the alarm sounded I showered, dressed, and shot out of the door. The trip to his house was about 30 minutes from the office. As I was riding down the road I contemplated how this plan had made so much sense the day before. But for some odd reason the notion of making a surprise visit to an unhappy customer’s house at 5:30 in the morning didn’t sound like such a great idea; especially when the purpose of the visit was to deliver bad news.
When I was about 10 minutes away from his house I finally determined that what I was doing was absolutely insane….I seriously considered turning around. I could just call the gentleman later in the day. At least then I knew I wouldn’t get shot!....kidding.
But when the internal debate was at its peak, I remembered something. It was through prayer that I had determined what course of action to take. That this wasn’t my plan at all; I was simply doing what I was directed to do.
Just then a warm feeling fell over my body as I was sitting in the seat of my truck; it was that feeling of peace that could only come from beyond this world. Just then I looked up as I was passing an old country church. It had a message board that read “Don’t worry, Moses thought he was crazy too!”. I think this was the first time in my life I had ever laughed and cried hysterically at the same time. I felt as close to God at that moment as any other in my life.
Tiny Miracles lead to Huge Testimonies
In the end the job turned out fine. We corrected the problem and the customer is now another happy name on our reference list. But here’s the thing: This isn’t about the relationship between a business and its customer. It’s about the relationship between man and His God. If we are willing to make Him first in our lives, everything else will fall into place. And when we see these ‘things fall into place’ first hand, there’s another term used to describe it: a miracle. And they happen all the time if we are willing to take advantage of the opportunities God gives us to exercise our faith.
I don’t want to know how many opportunities I’ve missed, but I do know that when Gods involved, even something as inconsequential as passing an old dilapidated church sign can turn into an experience that will change your life forever. This feeling of direct connection with God, this feeling of peace from beyond this world is available to us all. He wants us to have this type of relationship with Him. “Seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.” That is a promise He has made to each and every one of us. He is standing at the door knocking, all we to do is open the door.
How have you seen God at work in your life?
