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THE SACRED READINGS ARCHIVE



Selling Cattle

     Shortly after [Dallas] Seminary was founded in 1924, it almost folded. It came to the point of bankruptcy. All
     the creditors were ready to foreclose at twelve noon on a particular day. That morning, the founders of the
     school met in the president’s office to pray that God would provide. In that prayer meeting was Harry
     Ironside. When it was his turn to pray, he said in his refreshingly candid way, “Lord we know that the cattle
     on a thousand hills are Thine. Please sell some of them and send us the money.” 

     Just about that time, a tall Texan in boots and an open-collar shirt strolled into the business office. “Howdy!”
     he said to the secretary. “I just sold two carloads of cattle over in Fort Worth. I’ve been trying to make a
     business deal go through, but it just won’t work. I feel God wants me to give this money to the seminary. I
     don’t know if you need it or not, but here’s the check,” and he handed it over.

     The secretary took the check and, knowing something of the critical nature of the hour, went to the door of
     the prayer meeting and timidly tapped. Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founder and president of the school,
     answered the door and took the check from her hand. When he looked at the amount, it was for the exact
     sum of the debt. Then he recognized the name on the check as that of the cattleman. Turning to Dr. Ironside,
     he said, “Harry, God sold the cattle.”

     Howard Hendricks 
     Stories for the Heart compiled by Alice Gray (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1996), p. 272.