DIY...

Let's get one thing straight.

I don't build.

At least when I have a choice.

But this week I've decided to 'self-employ' myself as a contractor.  The reason is we've got this backyard that basically hasn't been touched in at least 30 years and it's gotten so bad that we're an embarrassment to our ancestors!

So, push came to shove this week (we've been toying with the idea for years) and we decided to get to it.

And here's the point.

As I said off the top.  I'm not much of a builder.  I don't enjoy working with my hands, I'm not particularly good at it, and I haven't done much of it so I'm slow.  But I decided to do absolutely as much of it as possible.

We're destroying our shed and building a new (bigger) one.  We're pulling up our patio, cleaning all the stones, doing a new surround, re-laying the stones and sealing them.   We're also re-parging the foundation and doing a 6X6 surround for our kids climbing gym.

The only part I'll have the pros do is the patio surround, the laying of the stones and the parging.

Everything else will be me.

And here's why.

I can do 80% of the work 80% as good as the pros and I'm much cheaper.  Today--for example--I saved myself $1,000 and, like grandpa used to say, a penny (or a 'g note') saved is a penny earned.

So I'm doing it.

And that's a vital lesson to me and perhaps to you.

In your work (as a preacher or a church planter or a producer or a _________ ) there are always going to be things that need doing that you can't really afford to do.  You can let them lie undone or get to it and do 'em yourself.

The thing is, if you're careful, and work slowly you'll probably do a 'good enough' job that no one will be the wiser as to whether or not you're professionally qualified.

And you'll have a great piece of work (a Church, a great sermon, a screenplay, a new initiative at the office...) done and be moving onto your next.

On the other hand if you--like so many others--just sit there moping about it, wishing that that 'thing' in your life and/or work would change or wishing that you had more money, talent, time, ______ on hand to get it done, you'll end up wasting your life pining.

As usual when I get down to some simple manual labor, I'm reminded that the same work ethic required to pull down a shed and fill a dumpster will pay huge dividends when applied to the 'real' (actually compensated) work I have to do with the rest of my month.

Shed down.  Lesson learned.

T