Got Oxen? – Part 02

This is a series of posts containing excerpts from my latest book, Oxen, which releases on Tuesday, October 30, 2012! Pre-order your copy today and receive 20% off!

As I describe in my book I Was Broke. Now I’m Not., I was the youngest of six boys, but I was the first to graduate from college with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University. Because of an amazing employer that had a college tuition reimbursement program, I was able to further my formal education and obtained a master’s degree in business administration from Clemson University. My career had moved rapidly upward and so had my salary, but even with all of these tremendous blessings, I was broke. Every single dollar I earned was deposited into our bank account, but all of it was delivered to one of our many debts or to pay bills by the end of that very same day.

My manger was empty.

I don’t know if you have ever watched cattle eat from their mangers, but they will stand eating at a manger until all of the food is gone, and then they will lick the manger clean just to ensure all remaining scraps are consumed. This described my financial situation. I could scrape together enough money to pay the bills, but beyond that there was absolutely nothing left over. Every single spare dime we gained inevitably departed our presence – never to be seen again. Our version of “licking the manger” was running out of money and then physically turning our piggy bank over to find enough coins to buy food off the dollar menu.

The same scenario played out every single month. We made money, and then we consumed every last dollar. Just like the oxen, we would be faced with an empty manger and were forced to stand around waiting for the next paycheck to refill it. It seemed like there was never enough for the moment, let alone storing up for the future.

On the day I encountered Proverbs 14:4, I realized that the writer shares two potential outcomes: an “empty manger” and an “abundant harvest”.

Two Potential Outcomes – Proverbs 14:4

  1. An empty manger
  2. An abundant harvest

QUESTION: If you were given the choice of an “empty manger” or an “abundant harvest,” which outcome would you choose?

Read the entire series (available after October 30, 2012)

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