Fresh out of high school and green as could be, I learned that his grandma could lift more than me!
I began my career as a carpenter in 1993. Needless to say, "experienced" was not an adjective that could honestly be attached to my name. So just like everyone else in that circumstance, I had to earn that adjective by... experience. I'm glad that I can now be described as "experienced" in many ways. In that accomplishment I've learned this: a problem with experience is... well, one has to have it, to have it. I believe it was 1994 when I met the power lifting grandmother and gained some valuable experience.
It was another sunny day on the construction site, and we were framing a new house. I was, as usual, inspiring everyone on the site with my unbelievable work ethic and productivity from one so young. My associate requested that I perform the important task of transferring some linear "2 by" material into a crucial location. I set about the task, carrying as much as any man on the site could. I was impressing all, and as one co-worker was observing my impressive ability, he began to talk about how he couldn't lift that much but his grandma could!
Actually, it was nothing like that. My foreman simply told me to move some boards from point "A" to point "B" and I did it. When the foreman saw me "doing" it, he noticed that I was only lifting 2 or 3 boards at a time. He came over and picked up twice as much as I had (or more) and remarked, "My grandma can lift more than that!" I was humiliated. At that moment, I decided I would never be accused of that again. That day I gained a little "experience,” and I felt the truth that the tough part of experience is: I had to have it to have it. This wouldn't be the last experience I gained early in my construction career.
Andy Olson also taught me some valuable lessons about working with others. The two of us sided many houses, and did many remodeling projects together. He was typically the guy on the scaffold installing, while I was the cutter or “gopher.” He insisted that it was my job to keep him busy, and that he should never be standing and waiting on me. I took it to heart, and worked hard trying to make sure that I was always ready and he was never waiting. As I practiced, I realized this important truth. I, as the cutter, had a significant ability to lead by pushing the installer. If he always had what he needed, it forced him to try to come up with something else for me to get for him, and that meant he had to work harder. That was good. Since then, that model has become my way. God definitely used that experience to shape me into the man I am today.
You may wonder what that has to do with YouthHOPE. Just this, God is at work in YouthHOPE to lead from behind. You see, we want youth all over the world to come face to face with the good news of Jesus, but we have a very limited reach. On the other hand, God is always at work in the hearts of people all over the world to spread the good news, and together their reach is unlimited. As God raises people up to be the face of Christ to those in their spheres of influence, YouthHOPE works hard to build relationships and “push” those people to be as effective as they can be to advance the kingdom. I’m not interested in being famous, but I am interested in expanding the fame of Jesus by encouraging and discipling people to live for Jesus, love Jesus, and build His kingdom. That’s what I care about. That’s leading from behind. That’s who God has made me to be. That’s YouthHOPE.
I began my career as a carpenter in 1993. Needless to say, "experienced" was not an adjective that could honestly be attached to my name. So just like everyone else in that circumstance, I had to earn that adjective by... experience. I'm glad that I can now be described as "experienced" in many ways. In that accomplishment I've learned this: a problem with experience is... well, one has to have it, to have it. I believe it was 1994 when I met the power lifting grandmother and gained some valuable experience.
It was another sunny day on the construction site, and we were framing a new house. I was, as usual, inspiring everyone on the site with my unbelievable work ethic and productivity from one so young. My associate requested that I perform the important task of transferring some linear "2 by" material into a crucial location. I set about the task, carrying as much as any man on the site could. I was impressing all, and as one co-worker was observing my impressive ability, he began to talk about how he couldn't lift that much but his grandma could!
Actually, it was nothing like that. My foreman simply told me to move some boards from point "A" to point "B" and I did it. When the foreman saw me "doing" it, he noticed that I was only lifting 2 or 3 boards at a time. He came over and picked up twice as much as I had (or more) and remarked, "My grandma can lift more than that!" I was humiliated. At that moment, I decided I would never be accused of that again. That day I gained a little "experience,” and I felt the truth that the tough part of experience is: I had to have it to have it. This wouldn't be the last experience I gained early in my construction career.
Andy Olson also taught me some valuable lessons about working with others. The two of us sided many houses, and did many remodeling projects together. He was typically the guy on the scaffold installing, while I was the cutter or “gopher.” He insisted that it was my job to keep him busy, and that he should never be standing and waiting on me. I took it to heart, and worked hard trying to make sure that I was always ready and he was never waiting. As I practiced, I realized this important truth. I, as the cutter, had a significant ability to lead by pushing the installer. If he always had what he needed, it forced him to try to come up with something else for me to get for him, and that meant he had to work harder. That was good. Since then, that model has become my way. God definitely used that experience to shape me into the man I am today.
You may wonder what that has to do with YouthHOPE. Just this, God is at work in YouthHOPE to lead from behind. You see, we want youth all over the world to come face to face with the good news of Jesus, but we have a very limited reach. On the other hand, God is always at work in the hearts of people all over the world to spread the good news, and together their reach is unlimited. As God raises people up to be the face of Christ to those in their spheres of influence, YouthHOPE works hard to build relationships and “push” those people to be as effective as they can be to advance the kingdom. I’m not interested in being famous, but I am interested in expanding the fame of Jesus by encouraging and discipling people to live for Jesus, love Jesus, and build His kingdom. That’s what I care about. That’s leading from behind. That’s who God has made me to be. That’s YouthHOPE.
