Friday, July 9, 2010

Next to the Golf Course


When I first met this businessman, Les, it was in his Professional Building where he had a large successful Insurance Brokerage. I did extensive work for him there and got to know him well, as well as his personal assistant. I remember one time we were hanging commercial vinyl wall coverings in his hallways and one of his elderly clients tripped on one of our tools as she walked past our work area. It was revealed later that this lady was hospitalized with a broken ankle. Her daughter was very upset with us and threatened a law suit. I told Les and he calmly reassured me that he had plenty of insurance to cover any issue that took place in one of his buildings. He did not have to do that and I am sure he saved me a bundle of money. 
Years later, he married his assistant and they bought this lovely home beside a golf course in the country. It needed extensive work and we spent many weeks re-furbishing the house from top to bottom. Les was not well at that point and took early retirement. He looked very ill and took a turn for the worse just after we finished the job. It was not long after that, his wife called us to tell us that Les was dying. I wrote him a letter and explained the Gospel to him because I knew he was an open minded man, but not religious, and I had come to like him a great deal over the years. I received a call back from his wife saying that they had many, many cards and letters from friends and relatives but it was my letter that they cherished the most, and that yes, Les had looked after this issue before he died, only days later. 
He had so much money, a beautiful house, expensive and fun cars, and a wife that was the envy of every man who ever met her, and in the end, he only had one thing left that was of any importance. His new found faith.   

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