Life Lessons From A Fellow Traveler

I'm at that age when I seem to spend a lot of time reflecting, and I think that's a good thing. I was thinking today about lessons that have been learned along the way that have made a difference in my life and I thought that I'd share some of them with you.



There's no substitute for hard work.
This was one of the most important lessons I've learned. I remember when my father got me a short-term job with a friend of his who had a construction company. He told me to make sure that I put in a good hour's work for every hour I was paid. I was just a kid then, but I took it to heart. The next summer the owner called me and offered me a job for the whole summer. I wasn't cut out for construction, but I always gave it my best effort.

I remember when I couldn't find any full-time work and went to work seasonally on my Uncle Ben's farm. I would pick tomatoes, dig potatoes, hoe weeds and pick beans. The lessons that I learned on that farm have stuck with me all my life. The tractor would turn up the ground ahead of me and I would follow along picking potatoes with my bare hands, getting filthy in the process. My Uncle said, "That's clean dirt. Never be ashamed of getting your hands dirty with honest work." That's good advice. I've found in life that there's almost always a job to be found if you look hard enough and you're willing to work. There's a dignity in work that is not found in anything else. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." (Ecclesiastes 9:10) 

Remember who you are.
My mother and father would both tell me this to try to keep me out of trouble. For the most part it worked. In the back of my mind I always remembered that what I did would reflect on my parents and my family. That made a big difference in the way that I behaved. My name meant something to me (it still does). I was named after my father and didn't want to do anything to bring shame to him.

This has carried over into my faith as well. As a Christian, I'm very aware that I bear the name of Christ. I try to live my life in such a way as to enhance God's reputation in the world. One of the most frustrating things to me as a Christian leader are "Christians" who lie, cheat and steal, etc... Hypocrisy has been identified as one of the main reasons many have rejected Christianity. As Mahatma Gandhi said: "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." What I hope is that I can live out what the Apostle Paul said others should see: "Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27)

Time spent sharpening your machete is not wasted time.
Not a lot of us use machetes around here, but in the sugar cane fields of the Caribbean Islands they are a necessity. You can waste a lot of time hacking away at sugar cane with a dull blade, when taking the time to sharpen it will make you a lot more efficient. This principle was shared to me by an old preacher when I was working in Jacksonville, Florida. It speaks of preparation and education, whether formal or informal.

Since that time I've tried to make personal growth a regularly scheduled part of my life, whether that be a college course, a seminar, a good book or a lesson on CD. There is so much available today, that there really is no excuse for a lack of growth. This did not come naturally for me so, as for all change, I had to create space in my life for growth to take place. What I've found, though, is that taking this regular time to learn and grow has made my job much easier because my skills improve. It was a valuable lesson.

What are the greatest lessons that you've learned in your life?

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