THE BOY WHO WOULDN'T!    DFO1651          9/83
--If He Only Had!--One of God's Disappointments!

         1. (DAD'S PERSONAL JOB INVITATION TO THE YOUNG MAN OF "HOLD ON!" was to be the next step in this young man's personal testing, before we hoped to promote him to a top job! He seemed to have all the right qualifications: But he wouldn't!)
         2. HE REMINDS ME OF THE STORY OF THE RELUCTANT GARDENER who was tired of his job & wanted a change. He asked his boss to write him a recommendation, which his boss, who knew him so well, obligingly did. The boss wrote a glowing letter that the Gardener could do this & that & the other & so many things so well & so skilfully, etc., until it took up a whole page of the letter. But when you turned to the 2nd page, the only words on it were: "But he won't!"--Signed by his Boss!
         3. POOR BOY! HIS RELIEF AT MAKING THIS DECISION, REJECTING OUR PERSONAL OFFER OF AN IMPORTANT JOB IN A TOP WS UNIT, reminds me of that prominent lawyer in Detroit who ran out of our evangelistic meeting at the invitation to receive Christ & was found outside mopping his brow with relief & saying, "Whew! They almost got me that time!--But I won!"--And a few weeks later shot himself--Some victory! (See No.1058:37-39)
         4. THIS BOY ALSO REMINDS ME OF THE OLD NEGRO POEM "DE LAWD HAD A JOB FO' ME!":

         "De Lawd had a job fo' me, but I had so much to do;
         I said, 'You get somebody else, or wait till I get through!'
         I don't know how de Lawd come out, but He seemed to get along;
         But I felt kinda sneakin' like, 'cause I knowed I'd done Him wrong.

         One day I needed de Lawd, and I needed Him right away!
         But He never answered me at all, yet I could hear Him say:
         'I'm sorry, Boy, I's got too much to do!
         You get somebody else, or wait till I gets through!'

         Now when de Lawd has a job fo' me, ah never tries to shirk;
         Ah lays down what I has on hand, an' I does de good Lawd's work!"

         5. THE TROUBLE IS, THE GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY HAS NOW PASSED, THE POSITION IS NOW FILLED by another who was willing to "forsake wife & children" (Mt.19:29), & has now taken the crown he could have had!--It's too late! We can't always be choosers unless we choose God's time, else we're more apt to be losers! "The Summer is past, the harvest is ended, & we're not saved!" (Jer.8:20)--What a sad case!--One of God's disappointments!--A Jonah!--Will there be a storm & whale?--How about you?

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