I've never been in the armed forces and so what new recruits
are subjected to in boot camp is something entirely foreign to me... at least,
I think it is. Nevertheless, when I
think back to that first year trying my hand at selling Christian books, I
can't help thinking of it as going through the most grueling boot camp training
ever . It wasn't like I didn't have
occasional good sales or wonderful experiences meeting people in their homes,
but for the most part, it was blood, sweat and tears. Robert can sell ice to Eskimos: I couldn't
sell them firewood with matches, if my life depended on it. Like I said, it was wonderful to be in
someone's home, seeing the excitement some folks exhibited at the display of
health books and the kids drooling over the pretty pictures in My Bible
Friends. At times, when I could see that
the folks were showing a sensitivity toward spiritual things, I would offer to
pray with them before leaving. They were
always moved by this: it isn't every day that a traveling salesman prays with
them, asking God's blessing on their homes.
I always knew that I had made new friends. One man, who was the manager of an insurance
company, even offered me a job. He
bought The Bible Story series and even contacted me again several months later
in the hope that I would change my mind.
I couldn't have been that bad of a salesman.
I did see my fair
share of miracles. One week, I received
a commission that added to all of $20.
At the time, I drove a Mustang with a 351 V8 engine that gulped down
gasoline like water flowing over a fish.
That's where I spent a lot of my money just so I could travel the
countryside and sell my wares.. I
remember buying a loaf of bread and a head of lettuce with the little that I
had left and yet, we somehow managed to get by.
One time, just when we needed it most, the church gave us a check for
$200. That was big money back then. On another occasion, our pastor's wife asked
us to drop by their home after prayer meeting.
She began to explain how she had "inadvertently" purchased
more groceries than they had room for in their cupboards. We would be doing them a tremendous favor if
we would take all these excess bags of food off their hands. Of course, we were
very much aware of what they were doing.
At first, we refused to take the food.
We thanked them kindly, but felt it would be wrong for us to accept
their charity. She was prepared to teach
us something we've never forgotten. Her
reply to us went something like this: "The Lord is wanting to give me a
blessing in giving you these groceries.
Please do not take away my blessing!" As strange as that may sound, there was a lot
of truth to what she said.
I remember Frank, Janet and the kids came and spent a
weekend with us. If I recall correctly,
I didn't have any commission coming to me.
No sale, no check and no idea how we were going to feed everyone. After church on Sabbath, we even invited the
Mainvilles to join us for a meal. We had
a wonderful time together. How we
managed to feed everyone is a mystery to this day... well, sorta. The Lord never let us down. This kind of thing happened time and
again. "...seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you." Matt. 6. 33.
But, like I said, for the most part, I struggled. Every door was a battle for me to knock
on. It was the same with collecting
funds for Ingathering or ADRA. I could
be more successful than the rest in our group, but I had this aversion to
asking people for their money that I couldn't shake off. I'm still the same to this day. Then, one day, Hermel and Sue told us that
they were thinking of buying a health food store in Elliot Lake. Hermel was making big money in the mines back
then. But he and Sue wanted to work for
the Lord and they were prepared to sacrifice all for the sake of the
Gospel. They figured this would be the
way to do just that. This is when Janice
and I wondered if we might not want to join them in this little venture. After all, Hermel would have to find a paying
job while Sue would run the store. The
business wasn't successful enough at that point to provide them with a
reasonable living. How would Sue manage
a health food store and care for their children besides? Wouldn't it be better if we tagged along? This way, one lady would work the store while
the other took care of the kids and vice versa.
Meanwhile, the guys would find work somewhere in town. Our friends needed us! and with that excuse,
we left the world of colporteurs and entered a new adventure altogether.
Did we know that the Lord was leading us? not really. Did we live with a twinge of guilt? I
certainly did. It haunted me
considerably, but never enough to stop the ball from rolling forward. The last few months trying to sell books with
very little success had been disheartening to say the least. I no longer had the courage to continue. Yes, at times, I wondered if I were like
Jonah, running away from the Lord, but I couldn't face another door. It was time to try my hand at something
different. Besides, I had a family to
feed and I was tired of living constantly on the edge. Little did I realize that my experience as a
colporteur would serve me well in years to come. I may not have been great in
the world of sales, but it did give me valuable insights in how to visit with
people in their homes and share with them God's incredible love.
________________________
I seem to recall a fairy tale from my childhood days where a
certain man, by the name of Midas, turned everything he touched into gold. In a strange sort of way, we had just
embarked on an experience very similar in nature. It seemed at times that God was determined to
give us His blessing, no matter what we put our hand to do.
My Life As It Is continues... Part VI
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