Good tools, Great friends

There is a strange side effect of loving both golf and cricket. I’m sure it is a side effect also shared by avid croquet players, 75% of retirees and the occasional horticulturalist. I’m speaking about the unavoidable love of lawn, and in particular well-kept healthy lawn.

The move was done and the furniture (all saved form death row) looked great. But I found myself now with a lovely lawn to care for and nothing but a pair of scissors to do it with. I looked into buying a lawn mower but simply couldn’t afford one so I went on the hunt for one that was being thrown out.

Now last Sunday was my final day at my old job, and our final day at our old Church. After the service a friend of our, who is responsible for most of the beautiful gardens around the northern beaches and a fellow lover of lawn, came up to me and said something along the lines of: “Nick I hear you’re after a mower. Now I do know a few people who are throwing them out and I could get you one of those, but if you want to do a good job, your going to need a good machine…and I want to buy you one.”

Half an hour later the mighty Victa had joined our family.

My wife and I were blown away by the generosity of this family and the whole Church that we were leaving.

But my friends comment got me thinking. I’ve spoken before about the joy of doing things yourself, and the satisfaction of taking pride in what you are producing and now I’ve realized this includes the tools we use. But there is only one reason for having good tools and that’s to build something good with them.

Now I love my lawn and will greatly enjoy taking care of it. I really do believe in leaving a place I live better than I found it. But the greatest tools any of us possess are not found in our sheds, or our desks or in our kitchens. The bible reminds us that we are “Fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139, that we all have an mind blowing amount of potential and talent and we are called to do something with it.