Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt

for sale that I would buy, buying it here from A and selling it inanother village to B.Although I had some very rough customers, I did all that I couldto help the people. As well as ministering in the nightly meetings,I was now ministering among my customers. I often had to showthem grace when they would default on their payments, but Iknew that this was part of my ministry. God gave me favor withall of them, just like my good friend and son-in-law, Bob Vasey,who ran a launderette. Ministering to his customers, Bob didmore than washing people’s clothes. I did the same, knowingGod had put me in that business for His business.“Mind your language, Mr. Burt is a chapel man.”At one house I would visit, there lived some people who hadbeen in and out of jail several times. One of the sons would tellme every time I visited that his dinner was on the ceiling, referringto when, in a drunken brawl, he had thrown his dinner upon the ceiling and there it stayed. They had never bothered toclean up the mess. Whenever I would come to their house, theywould be gambling and swearing. “Mind your language,” theywould correct each other. “Mr. Burt is a chapel man.”I would talk to them about the Lord, and they would listen. I wasmore than a preacher to them as God allowed me to be a friendto them in times of need. I would cut their hair, visit them in jail,try to solve their problems, and settle their arguments. SometimesI felt as though I were operating a pawn shop. I almostcould have had three brass balls put up over our house!Neighbors. We forgot all our differences…The man who lived across the road from us, Ron Griffis, wouldoften come across the road to our house or send his childrenover, always borrowing – everything from a cup of sugar to mywheelbarrow.“Mr. Burt, Have you got a bottle of milk you can lend us? Canyou lend me a screwdriver? Mr. Burt, can you lend me a hammer?”100