Appreciating the Opportunities - Big and Small
My dad has been a plumber for decades. He's done so many piping re-fits and water heater installs that he could very likely do these same jobs in his sleep. When I was a little kid, he always hoped that I would follow in his footsteps. Unfortunately, radio and music became my professional aspirations from an early point in life. In 2008, however, I did work with him as a plumber's assistant while living in Louisa.
While I worked with Dad, we stayed busy every single day. At that time, he was probably the busiest plumber in Louisa County. We were happy to take most of the jobs that came our way - jobs both big and small.
One day I asked him why we would spend so much time on these small, "odd" jobs... ya know, the jobs where a faucet strainer needs to be cleaned out or a toilet's wax seal needs to be replaced. At that time in my life, it just didn't seem worth our time and energy. It was on that day that Dad taught me a valuable lesson. He said, "Son, these small jobs may not seem like much. In fact, you may think of them as a waste of time. But ya know something, these may turn into larger projects down the road. If they have a burst pipe or a system breakdown, who do you think they're going to call? The guy that came and did a good job on that wax seal replacement."
I think we can learn a great deal from what Dad told me that day. A number of opportunities will come our way - big and small. While not every opportunity is intended for us, we should also remember not to overlook those small opportunities in life. They may not seem like much in the short-term, but in the long-term those same opportunities may lead to greater opportunities down the road. What a shame it would be to miss out on those blessings because we passed up that little opportunity!
Today, treat those small jobs as opportunities for growth and enrichment. They may very well impact your life for the better.
Photo: A young Jay Daniels working as a plumber's apprentice with his Dad, Jeff.
While I worked with Dad, we stayed busy every single day. At that time, he was probably the busiest plumber in Louisa County. We were happy to take most of the jobs that came our way - jobs both big and small.
One day I asked him why we would spend so much time on these small, "odd" jobs... ya know, the jobs where a faucet strainer needs to be cleaned out or a toilet's wax seal needs to be replaced. At that time in my life, it just didn't seem worth our time and energy. It was on that day that Dad taught me a valuable lesson. He said, "Son, these small jobs may not seem like much. In fact, you may think of them as a waste of time. But ya know something, these may turn into larger projects down the road. If they have a burst pipe or a system breakdown, who do you think they're going to call? The guy that came and did a good job on that wax seal replacement."
I think we can learn a great deal from what Dad told me that day. A number of opportunities will come our way - big and small. While not every opportunity is intended for us, we should also remember not to overlook those small opportunities in life. They may not seem like much in the short-term, but in the long-term those same opportunities may lead to greater opportunities down the road. What a shame it would be to miss out on those blessings because we passed up that little opportunity!
Today, treat those small jobs as opportunities for growth and enrichment. They may very well impact your life for the better.
Photo: A young Jay Daniels working as a plumber's apprentice with his Dad, Jeff.
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