General

Lesson in Money from Hero of Faith

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George MuellerGeorge Mueller.  1805 – 1898.

Here’s a man who faced great financial uncertainty almost every day of his life.  Yet, he has become known as one of the most generous missionaries ever to have lived.

Earlier this year I enjoyed reading George Mueller: Guardian of Bristol’s Orphans.  It’s a children’s book and we got it for Avery but the lessons in it really apply to adults!

George was most famous for caring for impoverished orphans in England.  He built massive orphanages during a time when the government offered very little assistance and the attitude of the day was harsh.

Here are a few things that really impressed us about Mueller:

  • He prayed about everything!
  • He saw huge obstacles as opportunites for God to work.
  • Life was lived in the context of absolute surrender.  George was born to a wealthy family in Germany.  He met the Lord and walked away from a lucrative career.  Early on he thought he was supposed to be a missionary reaching out to European Jews.  But the Lord directed him, through consistent prayer, to move to England and serve orphans.

There were days at the orphanages when not even a few schillings were available to buy breakfast.  Every time, George prayed and waited.  Never did they go hungry.

At his death in 1898, the Liverpool newspaper wrote concerning the 10,000+ orphans he had rescued and the vast sum of money required to care for them:

“How was this wonder accomplished?  Mr. Mueller has told the world that it was the result of ‘Prayer.’  The rationalism of the day will sneer at this declaration; but the facts remain.”

During Mueller’s lifetime:

  • 1.5 million British Pounds (over $2 million dollars in the 1800’s – a TON o cash for those days) flowed through donations to the orphanages and the Scriptural Knowledge Institution, which Mueller launched and which still supports missionaries to this day.
  • In 1998 alone, over 100 years after his death, the SKI gave over $500,000 to missionaries.
Family

How are we doing?

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Thanks for asking.

Most of you know that this has not been a pleasant fall for our family to go through.  Shannon’s mom and grandmother passed away recently.

We are travel weary.  Just plain tired.

The grief?  It’s not a one or two week process to get over it.  There are no shortcuts to dealing with all the emotions and sadness.  Yet, we’re now able to relate with many of you who have lost loved ones.

This has showed us that pain, suffering and loss are very real things.  They are . . . painful.  Nothing can minimize it or give you an “easy out.”

However, there also is another reality that we constantly recognize, yet do not see clearly how it is working out.  It’s like looking for the sunrise on a thick, foggy morning:  You know it’s going to happen.  You will see glorious evidence of it, but for now must wait patiently.

Romans 8 speaks of this reality.  It is described as a hope for eternal glory.  Paul says that our present sufferings are not worthy to be compared to this glory.  It says that we can take it to the bank that God has given us everything imaginable in Christ Jesus.  We aren’t lacking for anything.  Yet, we wait.  And we struggle.  It’s not clear exactly HOW “all things work together for good” but in the glory of Christ they do.

So, do we have hard times?  Yes.  Do we feel broken over loss?  Yes.  Are pain and death the end?  No.

We want to experience Christ in the midst of it all – not ignoring loss and pain nor taking for granted the mysterious ways of the Lord.

Just some thoughts.  Thanks for your prayers.