February 25th, 2020

Things I Learned From My Father

Photo by Jesse Orrico

Written by Charles S. Head
 
There are things in life, that as we get older and look back, they are precious and have been valuable to us throughout the years.  Recently my memories were the years I spent around my father.  As a young child I would follow him around and watch how he did things. My father was very handy at fixing things, such as repairs around the house, carpentry, repairs on cars, etc. Plus, this also included watching my father plant a garden with vegetables each year.

One of my greatest experiences learned from my father was that he was a hardworking man.  I never saw him wasting his time or being lazy for one moment. What I did notice, is that my father worked a full-time job and when he would come home, he continued to do activities long afterwards. This inspiration from my father was so beneficial to me as a young boy, that at 11 years old I bought a lawnmower and started a community lawn cutting service, which brought in a nice income.  Then, in the fall of the year I would rake leaves and do whatever small chores for others to earn my own money.

This experience carried over into my adulthood, and I found myself passing it on to my children the same as my father had taught me. I taught them that hard work will bring out their potential, but laziness and idle time can cause them much harm in their life.

My father is a World War II Veteran, and this year 2020, he will be 94 years old.  Because he was such a hardworking man, he continued to running his business until he was about 90 years old and only quit when he had to turn his license in to the state.

The Bible teaches us that laziness is not good for us. Proverbs 26:13-15 gives us a great example of a lazy person.  It reads "the slothful man saith, there is a lion in they way, a lion is in the streets.   As a door turneth upon his hinges, so do the slothful man upon his bed. The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieves him to bring it again to his mouth." What does all this mean?

1.      A slothful man means a lazy man.
 
2.    Verse 13 means "a lazy man" will use any excuse to keep him from having to work. Even the story of a lion in the streets will stop him
 
3.    Verse 14 means a door always turns in the same place, and a lazy person moves about but never advances; he suggested any excuse for inactivity.
 
4.    Verse 15 means, the lazy man hides his hand in his bosom and is too lazy to take it out, dip it into       the dish, and put food into his mouth.

I've learned that I function better and I'm able to think clearer when I work hard. Working also helps us to sleep better because we were all created by God to work, and this is part of His purpose for our life. Today I'm troubled by so many young people who feel they are entitled to many things, and for them not having any plans to even try working for a living.  But me, I'm thankful to God that he has allowed me the strength to work many years and now I'm blessed to say I have reached my retirement and am still able to work.