A Deal is a Deal

May 7, 2023

Reflection from the Heart of Allan Redenius
 
Long, long ago, I agreed to shovel snow off my grandpa and grandma’s sidewalk.  Back then, I thought bananas were a treat.  So, grandpa and I agreed that with each snow fall, followed by shoveling, I would get a banana for my effort.  We shook hands in the fall, and I went home a happy boy.
 
Then the first snow came.  My grandparents had a corner lot and, I swear, that sidewalk didn’t look that big when grandpa and I shook hands.  So, I complained to my boss, “Grandpa, I think this was a lot of work for a banana.”  To that he reminded me, “A deal is a deal.  You set the price and we shook on it.”  Thank goodness, grandma heard the conversation and offered up a bonus.  “Allan, you sit yourself down here at the kitchen table.  You can have a sugar cookie with some tea.”  The sugar cookie and tea were the extras that made all my hard work worthwhile.  Maybe there was another bonus that is more memorable, more priceless than any banana or sugar cookie—LOVE.

I learned a lot from that first business venture.  President Trump may have written a book, The Art of the Deal (which I’ve never read,) but these things I’ve learned from making deals over my lifetime.

1. Before you make a deal, consider the risk versus the reward;
2. Always, always look at the character of whom you are making the deal.  Remember, he who lies down with dogs raises up with fleas.  (Once I had an opportunity to invest in what looked like a great deal.  However, though I liked my “would be” partners, they were not Christians.  So, I passed on the deal.  Did I miss out?  They eventually went bankrupt);
3. Matthew 5:37 says, “….let your “yes be yes’ and your ‘no be no.” A good rule to follow;
4. Ask yourself, “What’s my exit plan?” and;
5. Maybe most importantly, before shaking hands with a man, pray to God and ask for His wisdom.

 
There you go, my own “art of the deal” advice.  Don’t work for bananas.  Sugar cookies, tea, and love—ABSOLUTELY! 😊
 
Love in Christ,
Pastor Allan

P.S. AND…before you do a deal, any deal, ask your wife.  They have “instincts” we men sometimes don’t! 
 
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