We had a lilac bush that had to be removed. It was already budding out, shocking this northerner! I'm allergic to lilac, and besides, it was in the part of the yard I had designated "garden". Today was the day. I put on my trusty leather gloves I had my parents bring me from America last summer, then I trimmed back the bush as much as possible to keep it out of the way. Then, I grabbed our shovel and began to work.
I hadn't gotten very far when I noticed the shovel handle cracking. Please note, I am no muscle-woman. The torque could not have been that much; yet I knew Michael had encountered the same problem and had mended the shovel's handle once before. Slowing down, I used the shovel as gingerly as possible to remove dirt around the trunk, but to no avail. The shovel's handle cracked and broke off the shovel. Useless thing! It was fiberglass and supposed to last forever, but it obviously couldn't handle the stress of hard labor.
Then an idea came to me: I remembered a wooden clothes rack rod that was lying unused around the house. I rushed in the house, grabbed the pole and shoved it in the shovel head. To my amazement and delight, it was the perfect size and fit. With the shovel newly fitted with a handle, I started out to dig again. This time, I could dig deeply, jump on the shovel and even use it as a lever to pull on the roots. The wooden handle held strong and finished the task.
The Montana girl in me had to smile that a trusty wooden handle could do more than a newfangled fiberglass tool, and I was reminded that I too am a tool. I am a vessel for the Lord. Will I crack under stress when He sends hard things my way, or can I be trusted to finish the task of the Master?
I hadn't gotten very far when I noticed the shovel handle cracking. Please note, I am no muscle-woman. The torque could not have been that much; yet I knew Michael had encountered the same problem and had mended the shovel's handle once before. Slowing down, I used the shovel as gingerly as possible to remove dirt around the trunk, but to no avail. The shovel's handle cracked and broke off the shovel. Useless thing! It was fiberglass and supposed to last forever, but it obviously couldn't handle the stress of hard labor.
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| Trusty wooden handle and broken fiberglass. |
The Montana girl in me had to smile that a trusty wooden handle could do more than a newfangled fiberglass tool, and I was reminded that I too am a tool. I am a vessel for the Lord. Will I crack under stress when He sends hard things my way, or can I be trusted to finish the task of the Master?
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