Faith that Never Gives Up
by Melanie Hemry
Bill Krause pulled up in front of his rental house in Tulsa, Okla., with a sigh. Parking the car, he turned off the engine and leaned his head back against the seat. For once, he wasn’t in a hurry to go inside. By all outward appearances he had everything he could want—an amazing wife, five wonderful children, a nice home filled with beautiful furniture and a car that was paid for.
Back in Michigan, where he had recently moved from, he owned a home and a construction company. The flip side of that picture was not quite as bright. What Bill didn’t have was a job. Which meant no income.
No way to pay his tuition to Rhema Bible Training Center. No way to make the mortgage on their home in Michigan or the rent in Tulsa. He didn’t even have money for utilities, groceries or for clothes for five growing children.
When he’d left Michigan for Rhema, Bill had assumed he would continue getting revenue from his construction company. But that stream had dried up. As a journeyman electrician, he had been promised two jobs in Tulsa. But neither had panned out.
No matter where he applied to work, every door had been slammed in his face.
According to every standard of success, Bill was failing. As a husband and father he wasn’t providing for his family. Worse, everywhere he turned he’d been confronted with 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”
From the pulpit at church and the lectern in class, Bill heard the same admonition. “If you don’t have a job, you’re out of the will of God.”
Failing his family was humiliating. Failing God was the pinnacle of pain.
Taking a deep breath, Bill climbed out of the car and went inside. His wife, Cindy, walked the screaming baby while several of the other children fought over a toy. Looking up at him with exhaustion etched into every line of her face, Cindy said, “The baby needs diapers.
BVOV : 11
