The Christian Broadcasting Network

GOD'S ECONOMY

One Couple—Three Jobs—And Not Enough to Live On

By Michelle Wilson
The 700 Club




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Bradenton, FL—Gary Parks is a hard worker, but he never could quite make ends meet. He worked at several part-time jobs, including working at a gas station and as a building welder. Even with the long hours he worked, he struggled to pay the bills. Sharon remembers when they had to buy food past its expiration date for their family at the discount grocery store.

Sharon says, “My son would get out his cereal and get ready to put it in a bowl and there would be some bugs in there crawling around and he would freak out.”

Gary remembers, “We had an electric bill of $25 and we were trying to figure out where to get the money to pay for it.”

Sharon started cleaning houses on the side to bring in some extra income.

“You do whatever you have to do to pay your bills," says Sharon, "so you work.”

She joined the 700 Club from her small income cleaning houses. Three months later, she got a contract making $8,000 a month cleaning commercial businesses. And Gary got a full-time job with benefits with the Florida Department of Forestry. He started watching The 700 Club with his wife and tithing from his paychecks too.  

“I just thought I would give this a try and see what it would do for me,” says Gary.

That’s when Gary says God gave him the idea for his new company “cleaning up construction sites.”

Gary recalls, “I saw a brand-new house being built and construction debris was all over the yard. And the Lord said, 'You need to go and make a containment area and you need to haul that away.’ I started hauling January 1st and by January 30th, in 30 days, I made more money than I did working all year long with the state of Florida Forestry Service.”

Gary went from making $30,000 a year to six figures in just 12 months! There was such a demand for their work that Sharon quit her cleaning business and went to work for the hauling company. 

“It meant the more we made, the more we could give and I was so excited for what He was doing in our lives,” says Sharon.

Gary sold his business just two months before the recession hit the housing industry.

“We started off with five dumpsters," says Gary. "When I sold the business I had 18 trucks and 300 dumpsters. It wasn’t me—the Lord was the one who told me to sell the business and it was in His timing.”

The Parks also taught their sons about giving and today Kelly is a partner with his dad in a new demolition business.

“Our profits have tripled and our business is going up and every year. It seems like we have more and more work and we have never stopped. All it took was that one chance of giving, and look where we are at now,” says Kelly.

“What He has done for me and my family He can also do for any other family out there," says Gary.

“I guarantee you that God will bless you," says Sharon. "Just step out and He will meet you right there, wherever you’re at—if it’s a penny or a dollar or whatever—He will bless you.”

Being obedient to God's truth made an incredible difference for this family. They made themselves available for God's love to flow through them to others, and they are reaping a blessing themselves as well. Join them in partnering with CBN. You will make a difference in lives around the world, through medical missions, food and clothing programs, humanitarian outreaches and so much—all in the name of Jesus. Please join today.



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