What I Had To Do

What I Had to Do

When I lived in North Carolina I worked a variety of jobs to make ends meet.

But let me give you the back story:

My wife and I moved to Asheboro, NC in the late 70's with our four month old son.

I had graduated from a small Bible college in Houston about 18 months earlier and immediately took a church position in Alabama.

After one year of ministry there I was back in Houston with the dream of "making it" in the music business.

A friend of mine owned a fledgling recording studio and hired me as a staff arranger and musician.

The trouble with this part of the story is that I was making less than I was making in Alabama.  Plus in Alabama we lived in a rent free parsonage.  Now I had to pay for a 2 bedroom apartment.

So, I thought I could work at the studio and record my own album and get rich and famous.

My friend's studio was really only making enough money for him and his family.  He was stretching  to pay the bills and pay me.  I finally walked away.

Pfft!  There goes my recording and success.

What was I going to do?

 

What I had to do!

Another friend of mine had a locksmith business.  He mainly installed deadbolts in apartments and houses.  There were a lot of those in Houston.

So, he sold me and another friend his business.  He taught us how to install deadbolts, where to purchase them and even how to rekey them.

We went down to a local bank where we both had worked and took out a loan for the "business" and to be able to purchase some tools, drills, and deadbolts.

You know, when you are 24 you think you can do anything.  So, I jumped into it with both feet.

But wait, I was a college trained musician and Bible scholar.  What was I thinking?

My son was born shortly after this.  His birth certificate said: Father's Occupation - locksmith.

Things went from bad to worse.

We worked the deadbolt business the best we could, but didn't make much money.

We had to borrow money from my parents. I sold a bicycle.  I took any kind of singing gig I could get.

My brother in law flew me to North Carolina to sing at a revival at his church in their new building.  It was from this encounter that I decided I would move my family to North Carolina and start over.

We've all got a story. 

You've just read part of mine.

Maybe you can relate to a young kid trying to make a living to support his young wife and child.

Maybe you've experienced similar pain, uncertainty, and anxious thoughts.

Not all of my life story is blooms and roses. There is a lot of thorns and struggle.  A lot of finding my way.

Just don't forget that the important thing is The Journey, NOT the destination.

Don't be discouraged if you're going through a rough time. It seems to be the way it is.

But don't get stuck in the hard times.  Don't get complacent and stay there.

Keep moving forward.  Keep taking action.  Keep reaching for a NEW goal.

 

That's what I had to do!

 

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