Richie George - Graceful Trials and Merciful Errors

Graceful Trials
and
Merciful Errors

Richie George

Copyright 2014 Richie George.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-2832-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2834-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2833-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014903856

Printed in the United States of America.

WestBow Press rev. date: 02/21/2014

Contents

Grace

when I looked in the dictionary to see what would come up on the word grace, there were numerous words to describe it, but as I looked at them I just realized that this is a personal meaning to each one of us. The Lord reveals this word on a personal level or thought, as he chooses. Their are words like, unmerited favor, pardoned, the list goes on. But one thing just keeps coming to mind, I am truly saved by grace through faith and not by works, and I surely cant boast.

Mercy

this word also has numerous meanings, like what could have happen to me, or what I deserved, and I did not receive it, like punishment, judgment the list goes on but it keeps coming back to that personal reaction. He did and will continue to have mercy on me, and it will endure forever, praise God.

H ello what you are about to read in this book is not something that is coming from some smart intelligent person, its coming from a guy who avoided doing this for a long time and would not listen to the Lord, but I could not avoid it. Its a story about an average fella that went through some times in his life that the Lord used to make him a better servant for his kingdom, and he didnt know it at that time. This book is going to be used to help even just one man or woman or child through a time in their life when they wondered if they could ever be used by God. Could they ever make a difference in someones life, well I have good news you can be used for the kingdom of our Lord no matter who you are. I hope by reading through this book you would be blessed in some way. And know that we truly can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.

I didnt know were or how to even begin to write a book. But several years ago I was at church during a Wednesday evening service, and before service got started my pastor came up to me and we were talking, it was very hot that day and I was tired from work I guess, I look tired so my pastor said why dont you write a book. In other words he was basically saying that like, write a book and dont work so hard anymore. at that time I never gave it much thought that evening maybe once or twice but I forgot about it. Several days passed and there I was, thinking about the book. Again it came and went I didnt pay much attention to it, several weeks went by and here we go again I found myself wondering about this book thing again, this time I cannot get it out of my mind, and I realized this wont go away this must be from you Lord, I even started to think of a name for the book, several came to mind but at that time all the excitement of doing this for the Lord was great and here came the enemy, so did all the negative you can think about.

So I forgot about it again, with work my health and other things that was going on in my life a book come on man who do you think you are no one in your family or even anyone you know ever thought about something like this before. Give it up, so I did. Then several weeks past and life goes on whrigt, wrong here come those thoughts again now the Lord even gives me the name for the book. Im like wow Lord this must be from you it wont go away, I still never wrote the first page toward it, so here we go again now Im thinking what about getting it published what is my motives, why am I doing this, would it be for you Lord to glorify you I wanted my motive to be right. So the enemy played with me again for a while, while in the winter of 2008 at a church in Florida I met a fellow, I heard about him vaguely I know that he was a author and an evangelist, so a friend said to me are you going to church this weekend that famous Christian author is going to be there, well I went thank God I thought wow what would be the odds of meeting this guy and just shaking his hand let alone asking him for some pointers about this book, well glory to God I did meet him. We spoke for no more than 30 seconds or so, and I asked him, Im sure you get this a lot, what does a guy whos thinking about writing a book do how do I get started, his answer was very simple he looked me straight in the eyes and said, WRIGHT THE 1ST PAGE.

Through the grace and mercy of our Lord I grew up in a suburb about 30 miles outside of Detroit. As a child growing up I was always around a lot of family we never really got to board we always found things to do, whether they were wrong or not. We lived in a trailer park, its often been said that living in a trailer park you automatically get a mark on you, like youre some kind of outcast to the public, well after many years later I realized those old trailer park days where right where the Lord had wanted me. We would gather behind the park in the old famous ballfield, there was always at least 20 or so kids girls and guys and after school we would set back there for hours, or until our parents would holler for us to come and eat supper. I never knew anyone that was a Christian back then from 8 to 16 or so I never knew anything at all or even heard that Jesus died for me, the message of the cross, nothing. I might have prayed to God for things that didnt make sense, but a relationship with Christ that was years into the future. I heard a couple of friends of the family they would say something about God now and then but I never paid much attention to it.

Growing up as a child, and through my teenage years, I grew up on the truck, always peddling something with my mom or my dad, or mostly my grandfather. My family made a living making cedar lawn chairs, back in the early 70s through the mid-80s when I wasnt in school or after school most of the time growing up, my time was spent in the wood, patch, thats what we would call it can you see a connection here now years later I do. Still no knowledge of the Lord, as time went by we quit making lawn chairs and in the early 80s my dad got started in the paving business. He always was in it since a child but he started a company in 1984 when the Tigers won the World Series. as time went by the only knowledge of church that I had was when my mom and my sisters were involved with the Catholic Church, up to that point I dont recall ever entering a church building. The only form of praying I seen was when my dad or my grandfather would make across and pray for a brief moment before leaving for work that morning in their pickup truck to go to work.