Growing up I was blessed with a father who could fix most things and was not afraid to build anything. You would think that some of that skill would rub off on his son, however my interests were elsewhere. From the time I was five until the age of twenty-two, I was on a ball field or in a gymnasium either playing or training for the next game.

Consequently, when it was time to take care of repairs and other life skills, I was woefully deficient. Filled with some regret that I had missed opportunities in my youth, I vowed a vow that I would do my best to pass on some trade, or skill, to my sons.

What do you pass on when you have such a lean resume and you can’t fix anything?  Well, as I was thinking about that one day, the thought came to me that I do know how to push a lawn mower, and so with that seed thought our family lawn business was launched about twelve years ago.

This venture has opened many doors for ministry, as well as a steady stream of life lessons for my sons. They have had to face the trials that come with broken equipment, with customers who do not pay for services rendered, with working in the Louisiana summer heat, and with an occasional wasp sting.

It is the last of these mentioned that comes to mind when I think of the importance of staying on task. Wasps abound in south Louisiana, and when my sons were younger, their curiosity and intrigue when they found a wasp nest was fun to watch.  A newly discovered wasp nest could shut down work for ten or fifteen minutes in order to see that the execution was carried out thoroughly. (more…)