Bought the Farm (01-27-07)

I recently received a letter from a client that was very poignant. I’ve reduced it while trying to retain the main content. He was a Midwest farmer who was the fifth generation owner of the 1000-acre family farm. A large corporate giant has been trying to get this property for about 20 years. He has had many legal battles, interference with his crops, and crooked city officials obviously on the dole doing all to pressure him into a sale. He saw Dorean as his first chance to get the upper hand in a long time. He prayed about it and got the OK. They have been a devoted Christian family for all five generations. The entire family of 6 children worked the farm. They attended a local church and were liked in the community. These ties to the community were what has saved him again and again from the greed conspiracy that had targeted his farm. As he shared his faith with me I sensed a true commitment to Christ. After what happened to him this became an undeniable fact. With my accusations the bank was more than glad to join in the greed conspiracy and foreclosed on the farm. They found a very eager court that had been exposed and embarrassed many times to swiftly mead out a ruling. The corporation bought it from the bank in a minute. He was forcibly evicted from his house. They loaded the kids into the suburban with all their memorabilia like trophies, pictures, stuffed animals and pets. He and his wife loaded the pick-up with the bare essentials. This was a large operation of thousands of cattle, sheep, and crops reduced down to these two vehicles in a moment. There were many tears and some real rage among the children. He encouraged them to be angry but to sin not before they left to the hotel they rented. His wife was lethargic and depressed. Still he drudged through the duties to catch up with the children. Before he could leave a city cop was joining the sheriffs evicting him. His son who drove off tempered had apparently crashed off the local bridge and plummeted 250 ft with all the siblings and any memory of them to a rocky ravine. The vehicle exploded and all were dead. His wife became hysterical shouting at him “this is all your fault, you said you heard from God. Look at your reward. How could you let this evil fall upon us? Why didn’t you just leave things the way they were, God always allowed us to prevail? You should just curse your God and die. This is not my God. You are being punished for all your sins.” Much more was said that was stinging to me, how much more this poor man? The coroner recovered the bodies and had them cremated, which had been half done by the wreck. By that night he had their ashes in his hands, a wife who left to her family and himself in a hotel room. This is where the story gets remarkable. He shaved off his beard and hair tore his clothes and put the ashes of his children all over himself fell to the ground weeping heavy tears and worshiped the Lord. Blessing the name of the Lord. Now you and I are acquainted with suffering but who can match this? Did you worship God or turn into a complainer blaming others for what God allowed in your life? Did any of these circumstances change the worthiness of God or truly expose His worthiness even more so? This story challenged me to view things differently. I must praise the Lord if he can. TCOB let me pick on you again. Your son has remained safe yet you are free to bitch endlessly about very trivial suffering. What did you bring into the world that was not a gift from God already awaiting your arrival? There are many shameless ungratefuls like yourself on here. Let us all take pause to reanalyze our relationship to things. I hope this story opens your eyes just a little.
This story is a fiction but modeled off the story of Job, which was real. The truth of this story is real and your duties to God even in your suffering are real. Here is the greatest reality: We can all thank God our sufferings are remotely light compared to their potential. I’m not trying to diminish your suffering except in your perspective. Read Job for the real story.