“Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.” – Isaiah 57:14
Did you ever know someone who just seemed to constantly cause trouble? I remember this kid when I was growing up, I’ll call him Sam (not his real name) to try to protect his identity. Perhaps the best way to describe Sam, who was a year or two younger than me, is that he was one of those kids who spent more time in the principal’s office than in the classroom, which was true from elementary all the way through high school. Very bright, as I recall, but always into mischief. To be fair, in today’s world Sam would have been diagnosed with ADHD and treated medically for that condition. But in those days no one knew or understood such disorders, they were simply labeled as troublemakers. Poor Sam! I don’t know what ever became of him, but I hope at some point he was able to re-channel his talent and energy in more productive ways.
A good friend of mine once suggested there are two kinds of people, those who create problems like Sam was notorious for, and those who fix problems like my late brother-in-law Chuck who, amazingly, could fix anything – plumbing, electrical, mechanical, carpentry – you name it. And he didn’t just fix things like new, as we often say, he fixed them better than new with better parts and extraordinarily better craftsmanship. I doubt there has ever been a tool invented he didn’t know how to use. And unlike Sam who spent most of his school days in the principal’s office, judging by the certificates hanging on his walls Chuck spent most of his school days – not to mention his Scouting days, Navy days, corporate days, and community service days – on stage receiving awards for his fine work and accomplishments.
But it is not the awards and certificates and recognition that matter so much to people like Chuck, and others who dedicate themselves to fixing problems rather than creating them. No, fixers fix things because of their desire to leave the world better than they found it, which they inevitably do. The prophet Isaiah wrote that we should “Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.” Which leads to the question we must all ask ourselves, “will I spend my days being a troublemaker, leaving messes to be cleaned up and obstacles to be stumbled over, or will I use my time on earth clearing the path so those who follow might have a smoother journey?”