Photo: https://gracewinecompany.com/graces-story/ By the grace of God it all works out….and sometimes we can be His agents in bringing His grace so that it all works out. We have that chance now.
Let me tell you a story….
The story involves two marvelous men: Bill the man who owns the trailer that was rolled and ruined on our Oregon Coast field trip and Dan, the man who was driving when the trailer was rolled and ruined on our Oregon Coast field trip. Both men were doing me a tremendous and much appreciated favor and both men are taking a financial hit as a direct result of their benevolence.
In the planning stages of the trip it became obvious that none of the parents planning on attending had a trailer we could use to haul the kids’ equipment to the Pacific coast. Not having budgeted for a trailer rental, I turned to Bill, personal friend and long-time Ogden Preparatory Academy supporter. Bill, who did NOT have a child attending the trip, graciously agreed to let us borrow his trailer.
Dan graciously volunteered to pull the trailer. And he graciously agreed to leave a day early so the trailer, loaded with all the camping gear, would be at the campground when we arrived the next day. And he graciously agreed to take not only his son but also three other junior high boys on the journey with him. They would leave Ogden Sunday, camp in the Boise area Sunday night, and proceed to Newport on Monday. His sacrifice--leaving a day early, pulling a trailer that could not go faster than 65 mph, taking four boys by himself for an extra night--was truly phenomenal.
And then the unimagined happened….. Soon after leaving my house hitched to the loaded trailer and as soon as he hit 60 mph on the freeway, Dan’s truck and the trailer rolled. Miraculously no one was hurt. He had not yet picked up the boys so it was only Dan in the vehicle and he walked away unharmed. The rolling incident did not involve any other vehicles and the rolled truck and trailer came to rest at the side of the freeway.
No one was hurt physically. However both men took a financial hit. Dan’s truck had only liability insurance and is a total loss. Bill’s trailer was not insured. It also is a total loss.
Who is to blame? The beauty of the situation is that no one is blaming. Both men could have dumped this problem in my lap. Lesser men would have turned on me and demanded that I make it right. Bill and Dan are greater men. Instead of turning on me, they turned to each other and worked it out.
Their agreed upon bottom line was that the incident should NOT jeopardize future trips. “We are both in agreement that the most important thing is to protect this trip for future kids,” Bill wrote. They also agreed that Dan would be financially responsible for the trailer. I am off the financial hook. Dan is not.
I am not taking a financial hit at all. (Thank you Dan and Bill!) Bill is taking a hit as he lost a big trailer and is accepting a replacement trailer that is not as big. Dan is taking a hit as he lost his truck AND is paying $7,500-8,000 to buy a replacement trailer. OUCH!!!
It makes me absolutely sick to my stomach that these two men are suffering financially simply because they are good--gracious and generous-- men. Sure, mistakes were made but they were honest mistakes, mistakes that you or I could (and probably would) have made in a similar situation They are taking a financial hit and their only “crime” was stepping up to help me out.
This is where we can enter the story.
Grace.
“A prominent Old Testament word describing God's grace is chesed. This word speaks of deliverance from enemies, affliction, or adversity.” https://www.allaboutgod.com/definition-of-gods-grace-faq.htm
I firmly believe that God uses us to help others. He can use us to help Him deliver others from affliction or adversity. We can help Him “make it all work out”.
Please join me in making this “trailer thing” all work out. Go to https://secureinstantpayments.com/sip/cart/event.php?EID=3380 and make a donation to help pay for the trailer. Select the “Miscellaneous” column and a box will appear that asks for a description. Type TRAILER into that box. Or you can send a check to Ogden Preparatory Academy, ATTN: Trailer, 1435 Lincoln Ave, Ogden UT 84404.
Thank you.
By the grace of God (and His agents) it will all work out.
Let me tell you a story….
The story involves two marvelous men: Bill the man who owns the trailer that was rolled and ruined on our Oregon Coast field trip and Dan, the man who was driving when the trailer was rolled and ruined on our Oregon Coast field trip. Both men were doing me a tremendous and much appreciated favor and both men are taking a financial hit as a direct result of their benevolence.
In the planning stages of the trip it became obvious that none of the parents planning on attending had a trailer we could use to haul the kids’ equipment to the Pacific coast. Not having budgeted for a trailer rental, I turned to Bill, personal friend and long-time Ogden Preparatory Academy supporter. Bill, who did NOT have a child attending the trip, graciously agreed to let us borrow his trailer.
Dan graciously volunteered to pull the trailer. And he graciously agreed to leave a day early so the trailer, loaded with all the camping gear, would be at the campground when we arrived the next day. And he graciously agreed to take not only his son but also three other junior high boys on the journey with him. They would leave Ogden Sunday, camp in the Boise area Sunday night, and proceed to Newport on Monday. His sacrifice--leaving a day early, pulling a trailer that could not go faster than 65 mph, taking four boys by himself for an extra night--was truly phenomenal.
And then the unimagined happened….. Soon after leaving my house hitched to the loaded trailer and as soon as he hit 60 mph on the freeway, Dan’s truck and the trailer rolled. Miraculously no one was hurt. He had not yet picked up the boys so it was only Dan in the vehicle and he walked away unharmed. The rolling incident did not involve any other vehicles and the rolled truck and trailer came to rest at the side of the freeway.
No one was hurt physically. However both men took a financial hit. Dan’s truck had only liability insurance and is a total loss. Bill’s trailer was not insured. It also is a total loss.
Who is to blame? The beauty of the situation is that no one is blaming. Both men could have dumped this problem in my lap. Lesser men would have turned on me and demanded that I make it right. Bill and Dan are greater men. Instead of turning on me, they turned to each other and worked it out.
Their agreed upon bottom line was that the incident should NOT jeopardize future trips. “We are both in agreement that the most important thing is to protect this trip for future kids,” Bill wrote. They also agreed that Dan would be financially responsible for the trailer. I am off the financial hook. Dan is not.
I am not taking a financial hit at all. (Thank you Dan and Bill!) Bill is taking a hit as he lost a big trailer and is accepting a replacement trailer that is not as big. Dan is taking a hit as he lost his truck AND is paying $7,500-8,000 to buy a replacement trailer. OUCH!!!
It makes me absolutely sick to my stomach that these two men are suffering financially simply because they are good--gracious and generous-- men. Sure, mistakes were made but they were honest mistakes, mistakes that you or I could (and probably would) have made in a similar situation They are taking a financial hit and their only “crime” was stepping up to help me out.
This is where we can enter the story.
Grace.
“A prominent Old Testament word describing God's grace is chesed. This word speaks of deliverance from enemies, affliction, or adversity.” https://www.allaboutgod.com/definition-of-gods-grace-faq.htm
I firmly believe that God uses us to help others. He can use us to help Him deliver others from affliction or adversity. We can help Him “make it all work out”.
Please join me in making this “trailer thing” all work out. Go to https://secureinstantpayments.com/sip/cart/event.php?EID=3380 and make a donation to help pay for the trailer. Select the “Miscellaneous” column and a box will appear that asks for a description. Type TRAILER into that box. Or you can send a check to Ogden Preparatory Academy, ATTN: Trailer, 1435 Lincoln Ave, Ogden UT 84404.
Thank you.
By the grace of God (and His agents) it will all work out.
Photo: https://emailmeditations.wordpress.com/2017/10/17/1650-a-lesson-in-grace/
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