Right before all of the rains hit us here in Texas recently, I was mowing my yard, when a drive belt fell apart. It was almost dark and the rain came the next day and did not let up for over a week. Once it stopped, I began the process of trying to fix my mower. I found the belt, and called the manufacturer to see how costly it would be to replace. The manufacturer suggested that I just take it to a professional to fix, as the repair would require "special tools." Now, I don't like to pay someone to do something that I can do myself, so I knew exactly who to go to. There is a deacon at my church, who knows things. I'm not talking about a know-it-all who's always telling you how much he knows. I'm talking about a quiet man who actually knows everything, as evidenced by his ability to fix, figure out and even build anything you could think of. I took my problem to him, and he smiled and shook his head, saying: "You don't need any special tools." That was what I wanted to hear. So, I set out to replace a drive belt in my lawn mower. Over the next few days (it takes me a while, but I don't quit...even when I probably should), I worked on my mower, aided by my kids. There was fun. There were moments of frustration. There was a lot of figuring things out. But, we were together, and we got it done.
Once it was ready, I prayed. My one year-old came out and reached up, so I set him on my lap. He raised his hand to await mine. He gave me five, as is our custom. I set the choke and turned the key. There was a moment of some funny sounds, but then everything fired up. I depressed the accelerator, and she ran. It may just be my imagination, but I think it's even faster now than it was before. I could tell that my wife thought that was hot. I quickly made a startling discovery, though. Before the repair, the mower would stop when I let off the accelerator. But post-repair, that was a thing of the past. Now, my mower will slow down, but not stop for anything short of killing the engine. For now...I can live with that. When it comes to mowing I tend to value quantity over quality, know what I mean? After the mowing was done we drove it up into the shed and a small crash could be heard. The sound of the engine died, and a few seconds later my son and I emerged from the shed, unscathed.
Now, I tell you all of this because Proverbs 27:17 says: "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Over the last few days, my countenance has been sharpened by a wise deacon, and by my boys. And, I like to think that I've sharpened theirs, too. I hope that you have been blessed, like I have been, with brothers in your life whom you can trust, men who honor the Lord and will always lead you to Him. Be the kind of brother who will sharpen others, instead of dulling them. Even in things that seem little, it can make all the difference in the world.