Starting Over at 54

Former golf pro Andy Inman still enjoys a round of golf. He’s even teaching his wife Marcia the finer points of the sport. But to tell their story we have to go back to the early ‘90s -- years before they met.

Andy was 55 and had climbed to the top of two marketing companies. He had even taken an early retirement. But one day while he and his first wife were out of town, their home was robbed.

“They took everything, all my business files,” Andy says. “They just moved, and within two to three hours, the house was emptied.”

When tax time rolled around that year, Andy figured he owed about $26,000 in taxes from his business. But Andy had no records, and the IRS wasn’t buying his robbery story.

“They disallowed every deduction. They took a $26,000 bill and ran it up to over $497,000, which I couldn’t pay. It forced me into bankruptcy.”

Soon after that, he and his wife divorced. Andy turned to the Bible for guidance.

“All of a sudden, I wasn’t in control anymore. I just laid it all on Him. I said, ‘I want You to live Your life through me. I want You to be the one who makes the decisions.’”

That included his finances, because by now, he was living on social security.

“I got down on my knees one day and told the Lord, ‘I’m going to give $100 a month out of my check, and I’m going to tithe no matter what happens. I’m gonna do that.’”

But Andy decided to take matters into his own hands. He opened a driving range with two partners. His plans failed.

“I felt like I could teach and play at the driving range. All of a sudden, that was taken away. Financially, I was down to the bottom of the line. I just didn’t have any other way to go. I didn’t really know what to do.”

Yet Andy continued to give, and God always provided. Then in 2004, Andy met Marcia. A difficult divorce had left her $300,000 in debt.

She says, “Every facet of my life was upside down at that point, and I was basically starting over at 54. But for me, three things were on solid ground. The first thing was my relationship with Jesus Christ, and then love and support of friends and my stubbornness or determination to press on.”

The two fell in love and married. They also started a home-based business together. They committed to tithe on every penny they made.

“We were in a place where we wanted God to be in control of what we did. We were available and obedient, and God just blessed our socks off.”

As they continued to give faithfully, their business grew beyond their expectations. They paid off their debts, and today, these CBN 2500 Club members enjoy a six-figure income. I guess you could say they learned a couple of things about financial success.

Andy says, “We just have to rely on Him. It’s not what you wanna do. It’s [what He wants to do].”

Marcia concurs, “He’s such a gracious, loving God. He wants what’s best for us. He want us to prosper and be of good health. Sometimes we go to the left and to the right, 'cause we want to do it our way. But if we focus on Him, He sees the big picture. It’s so much bigger and better than we could ever imagine.”

God wants to bless you too, just as He blessed the Inmans. One way you can give to God’s work is through CBN. Not only will you reach thousands each day with a message of truth and hope through The 700 Club, you will also help feed and clothe children around the world, bring medical aid to those suffering and so much more. Please join with us today.