Thursday, January 3, 2019

Working Harder and Smarter

I ran across a few pictures from July 2017. I meant to show you back them, but I must have forgotten.

I find myself repeating a phrase more often as the years roll by. I need to learn to work smarter. However, there are times when we need to add in a big dose of hard work to get the job done. 

Smarter is better, but do not discount the value of brute strength in a pinch.

While we were building the house in June 2017, we preached a revival at a "local" church in New Miami, Ohio. Since we were working every day on the house, we drove the 40-50 minutes to church each night rather than take the bus over and park. 


Pastor Steven Allen asked me if there was a way to install a proper electrical hookup for an evangelist with an RV. I told him a 50 amp plug could easily be added to the side of the fellowship hall and that I would do it when he needed it.

One day in July Dad and I drove over in the evening to install the 50 amp plug. Fishing the wire through an existing hole was no problem. Opening the panel, inserting the breaker and hooking up the wire inside, no problem. Wiring the 50 amp plug outside was not a problem. 

However, drilling holes in the concrete block so that we could attach the box to the outside of the wall with a regular drill was definitely a problem. We remembered to take everything with us but the hammer drill. We needed a hammer drill.

Dad and I had already worked all day at the house. Adding a two hour round trip to fetch the hammer drill was not an option. Surely we could drill these little holes. Come on, Davy, it is only two little old holes.

Nope. I pushed with all I had. Dad pushed with all he had. These blocks were old and tough.


We finally struck on a solution. Dad helped steady the drill and hold the box out of the way. I operated the drill and pushed on it. Bro. Steve pushed on me.


Bro. Steven is a young man. Bro. Steven is a strong, stout young man. The first time he pushed on my shoulder I buckled into the wall, literally. I had to arrange myself into a firm stance, get my arms locked in a straight position and begin drilling. Then Bro. Steven pushed on me.


All three of us combined turned a regular Milwaukee electric drill into a hammer drill. We only put in two screws. Someday I will go back with a hammer drill and attached the box even better, although as far as I know, it is still hanging in there.

Sometimes you worker harder, sometimes you work smarter. Sometimes you do both.

Thank you for checking in today. Now, go take on the day.

Davy