A Message for Joe

In two weeks, a friend of mine, Joe Hazelwood, will take a missionary trip to the Philippines where he'll be ministering as part of Harvest House Ministries to poor people in Davao City on the island of Mindanao. He always asks me to speak a word of inspiration to him -- something that he can pass on to the Filipino people. I tried to give him a word today, but I don't think my spoken words were adequate, so I thought I'd try posting it to this blog. Maybe it will make more sense.

I tried to explain to Joe that I had a life-changing experience some time ago, a moment of pause; an epiphany – something that made me stop and think for a minute.

I had driven to the mall and had just parked in one of the many empty parking spots left vacant after the Black Friday shopping frenzy. There in the parking lot was a mall employee, a groundskeeper doing his job. He had a gas-powered leaf-blower slung over his shoulder and he was walking along the parameter of the parking lot blowing dead leaves away from the curbs and out into the street and parking lot.

I sat and watched the man for several minutes. He would blow the leaves away, but when he would walk away, the wind would blow the leaves right back against the curb. His actions, although he was gainfully employed, did not appear to serve a purpose, and he didn’t seem to care one way or the other. I’m sure he would be paid the same wages regardless where the leaves ended up. Cars passed by, scattering leaves in all directions. Some of the leaves would blow down the street only to end up against another curb, which the man would dutifully clear away with this blower.

I tried to relate this man’s efforts to my own life. Do I make a difference in the lives of other people or do I just aimlessly blow leaves from one place to another? Do I live with a purpose in mind or do I just go through the motions? Am I sowing seeds for a future harvest or am I just blowing leaves?

My life must count for something. I must be better focused than the man with the leaf-blower. I cannot be content with payday, just narrowly getting through life. I need to know when all is said and done that I made a difference somewhere along the way and that I’ve not left a lot of scattered leaves lying along the course of my life.

In the end, I watched the groundskeeper walk carelessly up the street looking for more leaves to blow, his leaf-blower running in idle. He would pause from time to time and clear away a section of curb, caring not where the leaves ended. His expression never changed, his purpose was still unclear. It was just another day on the job. He was probably scheduled to be out the next day to clear the same curbs again of the same dead leaves.

I don't know if these words will help Joe or not. My wife and I lived in the Philippines for two years (1975-1977) and I don't recall ever seeing a Filipino using a leaf blower, so they may not be able to relate to the image. But my point isn't the leaf blower as much as it is the point that for much of the time, the machine ran in idle while the worker ambled along the curb performing a meaningless, redundant task. Perhaps Joe can impress on those people that even though they are poor, their lives may seem meaningless and redundant, they can still count for something. They have talents and abilities that can be put to good use. Social status doesn't mean they must run in idle but can be productive citizens.

Let me finish this entry by quoting a poem I heard many years ago. I'm not much of a poetry reader, but his particular poem has stayed with me through the years. Although I'm not positive of its author, I heard it spoken by Mr. Lou Holtz, legendary head coach of the Notre Dame college football team. He was speaking at the annual convention of a direct sales company where people had gathered for inspiration. Lou said....

One day while walking through my home town
I saw a building being torn down.
With a heave and ho and a mighty yell
They swung a beam and a sidewall fell.
I asked the foreman, are these men skilled
The kind you would hire if you were going to build?
He laughed and said, oh no indeed
Common labor is all I need.
For these can tear down in a day or two
What it takes skilled men a year to do.
I asked myself as I walked away
Which of these roles do I want to play?

That's about all I have today. I hope this posting helps you, Joe. More importantly, I hope you will be able to pass inspiration on to the Filipino people in Davao City.

I would be remiss if I didn't invite you to visit my website to take a look at my books. After all, it's what I do, so I might as well try to make a living, right? I'm very excited about the release of my most recent book, The Apostle Murders, a suspense thriller that is available in paperback ($14.95), kindle, and nook ($2.99).