Not just another shovel story

Sometimes we like things.  Sometimes we love things.  Sometimes we grow attached to things.  So I brought home this rusty old shovel from a job.  I posted about restoring the shovel on December 14.

I have used it many times since then, and I am attached to this shovel.  I know that sounds strange, but I have this feeling about it.

So, you can imagine how disappointed I was when I broke the handle of the shovel trying to pry out landscape timbers at Marie's house.  Life does have it's moments of disappointment and brokenness.

A new shovel was out of the question.  I was going to fix the old one.  A new handle is $20.  Too much!!!  I saw some old shovels on marketplace.  Maybe I could buy one of those and use the handle.  But the lady wanted $10 for the shovel and it was in terrible condition.  Too much! I thought.

Then, last week, I was going back to work at the house where I got the shovel in the first place.  On the way there, I saw a sign for a garage sale.  A little voice told me to stop.  [It wasn't God.  I don't believe that God tells you to stop for a garage sale.]  Anyway, I did stop.  There was nothing for sale that I wanted, but there was a pile of free stuff at the street.  In that pile of free stuff was an old shovel handle.

I picked up that handle, took it home, sanded it down and put linseed oil on it.  Then I ground the rivet out of the old shovel.

I put the old handle from the garage sale into the beloved shovel, and voila! The shovel is reborn.

Takeaways from this story:

• It is ok to love things, just as long as you remember that sometimes they break.
• Perseverance is an important life skill.
• An old shovel is better than a new shovel.
• We get attached to things that we spend time with.
• Work makes me happy.
• Don't give up on your old, broken things.

Garage sale free handle, old shovel, new friends.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.