At my old job, the workers kidded that we were hidden in the basement; kept away from the public. Above us was a showroom of highly expensive decorating fabrics where customers went and requested samples or clippings of fabrics that ‘tickled their fancy.’ Sometimes they placed their orders on the spot. Meanwhile, we had to climb on ladders or go up shelving that were over ten feet high to fulfill orders. It was a lot of work, especially when other workers would hide so as not to do their share. When large orders arrived of 3-5 pages long, some workers decided it was time for their 15 min. break, leaving the load on others.
We always felt the manager was one with a whip chasing us up & down the aisles and shelves to hurry up and get our work done. There was definitely no preferential treatment there. We’d hope some ‘big shot’ in the showroom would come down and see who really did all the dirty work. Never happened
We had a guy, Pete, who memorized almost every single piece of fabric we housed. Each piece had a five-digit number. If we’d say, I need number 12395, he’d be able to tell you how many were in the same line, what colors they came in, their price, and how many inches before the pattern repeated itself again, etc. What’s more amazing is that a few years down the line, a larger company merged their line with ours, bringing in 10,000 to 15,000 new fabrics and within weeks, Pete was memorizing them all!
Being out of the spotlight also meant getting paid as if living in the dark. After paying our tithes and our bills, I’d stay with $2.00 for the next two weeks. Having to get along with three kids and a wife wasn’t easy with two bucks. To save (!), I’d ride my bike about 12 miles to work from Brooklyn to Manhattan. I’d cross the Pulaski Bridge and then the 59th St. bridge-even in frigid weather. For lunch, since Pete only had a sip of his soda and threw out the rest, I’d ask for some before he drank. I’d pour some into a cup and have it with some snack. I felt as if I had a hole in both pockets. But Jehovah Jireh, our provider, always came through. I remember we had had a grand total of $157.00 stashed in our bank account for years. I believe it went down to about $8.00 and we never looked at it cause we knew it couldn’t help us pay for anything basic. I’m thankful to God I had a happy and understanding wife and three young kids for whom riches meant dad coming home, and that’s all that mattered. I’d enter the door and one would grab me on the left leg, the other on my right leg, and the youngest I’d pick up. I’d walk like Frankenstein pulling along two twerps and carrying a munchkin.
Where are your riches? Although ‘Money answers all things’ (Eccl. 10:19), true treasures are to be established in heaven so that when this world is over, or we go to Him, we’ll have treasures to ‘bank’ on (Matt. 6:20). Our prayers are deposited in heaven, our good deeds (because of our salvation), will be acknowledged by God. Together, they form our bank accounts.
As the apostle Paul said, “I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound in all things; I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Philippians 4:12). Not having money meant no need to worry on overspending when shopping since we simply didn’t shop except for groceries. The one thing there was always an abundance of was laughter in our home. If you have the chance someday, read the great poem Laughter In the Walls by Bob Benson. It has definitely enriched our lives and has shown a truth relative to happy lives within happy walls.