A Leaf in My Lily Pond

Good Morning! 

It did snow yesterday … for about four hours.  But there is no accumulation to speak of here in Cleveland … perhaps some in higher elevations, like Brasstown Bald.  When Heather came down to get a bowl of chili and freshly made cornbread (yum), I told her that my first boss, Mr. Johnston, who was from a Scandinavian country, once told me that “big flakes means the snow will stop soon”. 

Mr. Johnston is one of my many leaves in my lily pond.  He owned the Emory Hardware store.  Mom arranged for Bruce and me to deliver his monthly circulars to the homes in the Emory area of town.  He paid us forty cents an hour to do so after school … usually only two and one-half hours each day. If you can do math, that adds up to one dollar a piece for Bruce and me. But I need to give you some reference to that amount of pay.  The Federal minimum wage was $1.00 per hour at the time.  The federal minimum wage did not apply to Mr. Johnston because his business had less than six employees.  And, the child labor laws did not apply because the job we did was not considered to be continual … it was month to month and only five or less days per month.  So, Bruce (11 at the time) and I (9 at the time) would head to the store on North Decatur Road after school. Mr. Johnston’s teenage employee would transport us to a drop off location, leave us to deliver the circulars in that neighborhood, then pick us up at a given point when the task was complete.  We would return to the store where Mr. Johnston would hand each of us a dollar. 

While it may appear that I am complaining, let me hurriedly say that I am not.  Mr. Johnston was a good man … perhaps a little thrifty … but very good to Bruce and me.  One has to remember that people in the hardware business at the time earned their living in terms of cents rather than dollars.  In 1960 there were no megastores like Home Depot or Lowes.  Screws and nails were sold by the pound … at cents per pound.  For that reason, thriftiness was essential for success. 

Mr. Johnston taught Bruce and me the value of a dollar … and the value of hard work. His instructions on delivering the circulars were very detailed … we were not permitted to cut across the yards … we had to walk up the driveway, place the circular in a very visible spot or, preferably, engage the occupant and hand the circular to them.  We then had to walk down the drive, over the sidewalk to the next drive and repeat the process.  In some of the Druid Hills neighborhoods, the driveways were quite long and steep.  But we survived.  And we obeyed.

Emory Hardware is no more.  In fact, most of the local hardware stores have disappeared as a result of the Home Depots and Lowes stores that can afford to charge less.  I admit that my first inclination is to visit the big box stores to save a dollar or two.  But the cost goes beyond those savings.  Mr. Johnston was a friend to many of the people in the Emory area.  People would come in and spend a few moments visiting with him.  He always treated them as customers but also as friends.  We don’t get that today.  And I think it affects the way we see community.

I left Emory Hardware to work at the Emory theatre when I was fourteen.  I got a huge raise … to sixty-five cents an hour … to sell candy and popcorn to patrons.  At sixteen, I moved on to Kroger whose interstate business required the $1.25 per hour minimum wage.  But I still remember my time at Emory Hardware … and Mr. Johnston … fondly.

Colossians 3:23-24 English Standard Version (ESV)

23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Our responsibility as believers is to work as hard as we can, doing the best job we can do so that Christ is glorified through us.  I know there are good bosses and bad bosses … but that does not change our responsibility to work as if we are working for Christ Jesus. 

We come to the end of another week … a couple of days to rest, recover, and regain the vigor we need to carry on for the Lord.  God bless you this day and this weekend.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer:  Father, thank You for the Mr. Johnstons that You have placed in my life to teach me what You want me to know. May I continue to learn these lessons so that You will be honoredin all my actions. In Jesus’ Name … Amen.

Scripture for today:  Colossians 3:23-24