The heat index was going to soar. Warnings pinged my email and phone. Thus, I raced to start my daily walk. My goal was to be finished with my entire day’s workout before the sun fully rose. As I covered my course, it was obvious I was not the only one to devise such a plan. The landscapers were similarly thinking. Additional manpower joined the regular crews in hopes they, too, could beat the danger zone of the heat advisory.
Walking along the golf course part of my route, I noticed one worker significantly behind the crew. My sense was not that he was outdistanced by the mowers but rather that he was putting the manicured finishing touches on the landscape. He was the lawn edger and precisely (and perfectly) doing his job.
As I gained ground on the man, complete amazement overcame me. This gentleman was older than the norm. I’d guess he was around fifty years old, but this was not what distinguished him. Nor was his gaunt build what separated him from the norm. What elevated him from laborer to superman was his equipment — a lawn edger. My heart sighed in empathy, and my soul gasped in admiration. You see, this mighty man’s occupational tool served dual purposes. It manicured this landscaper’s ability and overcame his disability. He was, in worldly terms, crippled. His lawn edger was, in reality, this man’s cane. Without it, I doubt he could have walked a step.
While most were sheltering inside, this hero was earning a living. The image of mankind today seems defined by entitlement, laziness and complaining. We need to look beyond this common spotlight. Instead, men, such as the landscaper I share, deserve to be highlighted as role model for all mankind.
As I passed my newfound hero, I wished him a blessed day and thanked him for blessing mine. In response, he tipped his sweat drenched head and smiled. Walking away, I didn’t pity him. Quite the opposite, I admired him and thanked God for crossing our paths. The sun’s perspiration no longer absorbed my walk, for a child of God and his lawn edger/cane penetrated me with the SON’s inspiration. “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 (NLT)
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 