The Shumaker Family's Blog

Culture shock or human shock

I want to share with you an interesting experience. I rented some iron supports that hold the wood together as we make the support posts for our new church building. Sunday night a thief came in and stole 22 of them. I have no idea how this could happen as a family of 5 lives on our land, but they managed to get a lot of them as the family slept. I had to repay the man that I rented them $3 for each iron support. That is when I found out that it was really stupid of me to rent them. I thought they cost $10 or more to buy. So I decided it wasn’t good to continue to rent them but it would be good for me to buy some iron supports for our current construction and future work. This afternoon when I showed up at the land, the man we rented the iron supports from wanted their money. We are supposed to pay for the days that they are in use. Each support is needed for two days each time they do the posts. So I expected to pay only for two days but he told me that I owed 4 days. I almost became unglued at that moment. I know that you are more spiritual than this carnal missionary, but I couldn’t take it. Here’s what happened. The carpenter put on the supports Saturday, (why I don’t know) but we hadn’t yet put the cement in the posts, so they were doing nothing but say, “Come steal me,” and you already know what happened to that. Now I am being told that I was supposed to pay for Sat. and Sun. when they weren’t being used and then he wanted me to pay for rent for the iron supports that were stolen. Do you get that? 22 iron supports were stolen and I had already paid him back for them, but he still wanted me to pay the rent for those that were stolen. Plus he wants me to pay for 4 days of usage with the other 67 when they were only being used for 2 days. I don’t know what it was but I couldn’t take it. I told him that I had to leave before I made a total fool of myself.

Maybe culture shock never leaves or maybe it isn’t always culture shock but human shock. I am shocked at the way men live but should I expect an unregenerated man to walk with integrity and character? Then my father-in-law had to ask me what I would have done if I was one of them. Honestly, I would have tried to take the white man for everything he had. No, actually many people here are good and honest. The Lord taught me that I needed to bite my tongue. I need to do it more often. As a leader, I have learned that sometimes you have to take the blame and the bad end of the stick. I know that my flesh hates that, but for the furtherance of the Gospel it is necessary.

One Response to “Culture shock or human shock”

  1. David Lundy Says:

    We love it when God blesses us in a way we really like, but man do we complain when He is trying to teach us something.

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    SENDING CHURCH
    Rome Baptist Temple
    P.O. Box 1023
    Rome, GA 30162
    Pastor: Dr. Billy Goolesby
    Phone: (706)232-8969

    FIELD ADDRESS
    06 BP 9460 Ouagadougou 06
    Burkina Faso
    Phone: (706)534-8965
    keith@theharvest.net
    www.theharvest.net


    MISSION BOARD
    Macedonia World Baptist Missions Inc.
    P. O. Box 519
    Braselton, GA 30517
    706.654.2818

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