That's right folks hold on to your seats because this story will make your jaw drop and fall over, if you are not sitting down. The Lord never stops amazing us and continues to bless us.
As most of you know, Joseph started North Georgia Lock and Key last year. When he started the business he had to start from scratch. Little by little God continued to provide and showed us that this was God's will in our lives. To start off, Joseph knew that he was going to need a car programming machine. It's a machine that programs the key to it's respective car. A brand new programming machine's cost is $9000.00. Obviously not something we could do at the time. Joseph was still with the police department and I was staying at home.
Joseph was able to find an off brand machine from China for a couple of hundred dollars and decided he would start with that. The machine worked great, but he quickly discovered that there were a few makes of cars he could not do. For example, he could not program Dodge or Chrysler models. It was hard for him to have to turn down that business and became frustrated every time someone would call with a certain make and model he could not do. He would repeatedly tell me "Maggie, think about all the money I'm losing. I have to figure out a way to get that machine". I kept telling him to be patient and that the Lord would open a way, but for now to be happy that the machine worked on the other makes and models.
A couple of months ago the company that leased Vince's (Joseph's dad) locksmith business could not stay open. Joseph was able to take back most of his dad's equipment and stock. He was so excited to be able to have their old programming machine, it was exactly what he needed. When Joseph tried to use it, it did not work. He sent it back to the company to get an estimate of the repair costs, and discovered it would cost $2000.00 to fix or he could upgrade to a new machine for $4000.00. Still too much for us to spend. He told the representative to keep the machine there and he would try to get it fixed later.
Well almost three months later he receives a call from a representative with that company. Short and to the point he basically told Joseph that he "got tired of looking at the machine" and fixed it himself. He repaired the mother board, updated new cords, added the newest program (that retails at $900.00), and he shipped it out to Joseph for FREE!!!!! Yes you read it right, for FREE!!!!!! He told Joseph that he knew times were tough and he should receive the machine in a couple of days.
The machine is updated with all the latest programs and ready for Joseph to use.
As Joseph told his mom the story he said "mom I lost so much money turning down customers." To that his mom responded, "yeah but you just made it all back."
I think it's taken me a few days to write about this because I still can not believe it. Even as I sit here and write this, I am still in awe of what the Lord did. There are times when we are so frustrated and feel let down because things are just not going our way, but even in those times God is working. He's working behind the scenes and preparing great things for us. There were so many days when Joseph would come home frustrated because he was not able to program a car or a car lot called someone else, but little did he know that God had something BIG waiting on him. He just had to be patient. Better easier said than done, patience is hard!
I am still speechless at what God did and I know that is just a little bit of what He will do. There is no doubt in my mind that when we honor him and are faithful to Him he rewards us. Being a christian is hard stuff, we are looked down on and not included sometimes, but the final prize is worth so much more. Worth more than being in the "in crowd" at work or compromising whats right to have a "little fun" night out with the girls or guys.
This morning in Sunday school, Kirk talked about the day that we will lay our crowns down at God's feet. How wonderful to know that all the sacrifices that we made through out our life, all the people who came to know Jesus because we shared the gospel with them, all the times we passed on the opportunity to go have some "drinks" so that we would not be a stumbling block for those around us, all the Sunday Falcons football games, braves games, we missed because we preferred to be in church, and I could go on and on. All of those things will not compare to that final moment when we are face to face with our Jesus, we are given our crowns and then lay them at His feet. That, is worth so much more than what the world can offer us now. All those things will pass away, but God always stays the same.
As most of you know, Joseph started North Georgia Lock and Key last year. When he started the business he had to start from scratch. Little by little God continued to provide and showed us that this was God's will in our lives. To start off, Joseph knew that he was going to need a car programming machine. It's a machine that programs the key to it's respective car. A brand new programming machine's cost is $9000.00. Obviously not something we could do at the time. Joseph was still with the police department and I was staying at home.
Joseph was able to find an off brand machine from China for a couple of hundred dollars and decided he would start with that. The machine worked great, but he quickly discovered that there were a few makes of cars he could not do. For example, he could not program Dodge or Chrysler models. It was hard for him to have to turn down that business and became frustrated every time someone would call with a certain make and model he could not do. He would repeatedly tell me "Maggie, think about all the money I'm losing. I have to figure out a way to get that machine". I kept telling him to be patient and that the Lord would open a way, but for now to be happy that the machine worked on the other makes and models.
A couple of months ago the company that leased Vince's (Joseph's dad) locksmith business could not stay open. Joseph was able to take back most of his dad's equipment and stock. He was so excited to be able to have their old programming machine, it was exactly what he needed. When Joseph tried to use it, it did not work. He sent it back to the company to get an estimate of the repair costs, and discovered it would cost $2000.00 to fix or he could upgrade to a new machine for $4000.00. Still too much for us to spend. He told the representative to keep the machine there and he would try to get it fixed later.
Well almost three months later he receives a call from a representative with that company. Short and to the point he basically told Joseph that he "got tired of looking at the machine" and fixed it himself. He repaired the mother board, updated new cords, added the newest program (that retails at $900.00), and he shipped it out to Joseph for FREE!!!!! Yes you read it right, for FREE!!!!!! He told Joseph that he knew times were tough and he should receive the machine in a couple of days.
The machine is updated with all the latest programs and ready for Joseph to use.
As Joseph told his mom the story he said "mom I lost so much money turning down customers." To that his mom responded, "yeah but you just made it all back."
I think it's taken me a few days to write about this because I still can not believe it. Even as I sit here and write this, I am still in awe of what the Lord did. There are times when we are so frustrated and feel let down because things are just not going our way, but even in those times God is working. He's working behind the scenes and preparing great things for us. There were so many days when Joseph would come home frustrated because he was not able to program a car or a car lot called someone else, but little did he know that God had something BIG waiting on him. He just had to be patient. Better easier said than done, patience is hard!
I am still speechless at what God did and I know that is just a little bit of what He will do. There is no doubt in my mind that when we honor him and are faithful to Him he rewards us. Being a christian is hard stuff, we are looked down on and not included sometimes, but the final prize is worth so much more. Worth more than being in the "in crowd" at work or compromising whats right to have a "little fun" night out with the girls or guys.
This morning in Sunday school, Kirk talked about the day that we will lay our crowns down at God's feet. How wonderful to know that all the sacrifices that we made through out our life, all the people who came to know Jesus because we shared the gospel with them, all the times we passed on the opportunity to go have some "drinks" so that we would not be a stumbling block for those around us, all the Sunday Falcons football games, braves games, we missed because we preferred to be in church, and I could go on and on. All of those things will not compare to that final moment when we are face to face with our Jesus, we are given our crowns and then lay them at His feet. That, is worth so much more than what the world can offer us now. All those things will pass away, but God always stays the same.
Programming Machine
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:2-4
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