I spent the first four days last week unemployed. It’s not that I didn’t have an employer, I actually have two of them at present. It’s just that neither of them had any work for me Monday through Thursday.
With the end of the month approaching I’m watching my bank accounts extremely closely. One surprise fee or expense could push me over the financial edge.
As it is there ain’t enough to pay all the bills I can foresee.
Sometimes living on a strict manna diet has its own set of stresses. I’m at that stage where God is stretching me big time in that department.
The last three days last week were tied up at the ACFW conference. That meant three potential days without pay and the expense of that event.
Monday was used to send out two requested proposals for Harvest House Publishers. That could prove most beneficial in the long run, but it doesn’t help this month at all.
Tuesday through Thursday were spent on other writing related items and praying for either a painting job or a driving assignment to come in.
With a men’s retreat and another writing conference coming up next month I don’t really need unpaid days to pile up like this. Hence the prayers going up from my little apartment.
Thursday afternoon the apainter Paul finally called to tell me he was powerwashing a fence for me to stain. That was my best-case scenario since a driving paycheck now won’t get to me until next month.
About an hour after I got off the phone with the apainter my dispatcher called with a potential to drive to Louisiana leaving at 3:00 AM. It broke my heart to tell him I had a painting job already.
That’s when I sent up a question prayer wondering why these came stacked on top of each other instead of spreading them out for maximum usage.
This manna diet frequently gets caught in my throat like that.
Being dressed for success means different things at different times.
[Tweet “Wearing the proper clothes at the right time shows wisdom”]
My work wardrobe is showing some serious signs of needing attention. I’ve been wearing a pair of jeans that have been weakening on the right thigh just above the knee.
I decided to use those for my painting pants two weeks ago. The first time I washed them for that job a designer section of tear showed up in that section of denim. It gets a bit bigger each time I wash them now.
With some paint splashes on that pair of jeans too I appear to be a well-seasoned painter in my own right.
I’ve discovered painting is a lot like writing. You can fake it til you make it if you keep your mouth shut and just do the work.
The fence owner seemed confident I knew what I was doing even though my wardrobe was less than spectacular.
Had I shown up to paint in the suit I wore to the gala dinner at the conference the homeowner would have questioned my integrity to get the job done. If I would have worn those ragged pants to a one-on-one appointment at the conference I would have been laughed out of the hotel the conference was held in.
Wearing the proper clothes at the right time shows wisdom.
Jesus told a parable about someone who definitely wore the wrong clothes at the wrong time.
The parable about the wedding feast in Matthew 22:1-14 closes with the king noticing a guy under dressed for a wedding. The result was not only that klutz being thrown out but cast into utter darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The book of Revelation closes with the wedding supper of the Lamb being thrown in heaven when the last person to accept Jesus as their Savior is included.
Only those of us who have been washed pure white by the blood of Jesus shed at the cross will be invited to that feast.
Make sure you have your white wedding feast clothes on for that shin dig, y’all.
I’d hate to see you cast out into eternal darkness after seeing the light like that.
Keep smiling. Wade
