Just an educated guess, but I believe many of my readers could match the story I’m going to share.

     About age six or so, while living in southern California, I had a desire to "earn" some extra money. I used a wagon my Granddaddy made me and hauled groceries for some of the neighbors. At age 10, our family moved from southern California to a very small town in northern Iowa. I branched out into raking leaves and shoveling snow off driveways and sidewalks

     As a new teen, I sold canned peanuts door to door, sold and installed seat belts in people’s cars and business trucks. When I came across an opportunity to "rack the bread" each morning before school, I jumped at the chance. The bread truck drivers would go through town and leave the bread and sweet rolls behind the many ma and pa grocery stores. I’d go by the stores before school and put the merchandise inside the stores on their bread racks. I averaged about a dollar a day, working more than an hour. I made the rounds kinda like a postal person, in the rain, shine, snow, sleet.

     When I turned sixteen, the supermarket came to town. That was a big deal for us. I began working there a couple of weeks before it actually opened, stocking shelves and getting everything ready. After it opened, I worked after school and on Saturdays. My pay for all this? $5.65 NET!

     One summer, I worked for a company that candled and broke eggs for sale to bakeries and restaurants. Each can contained 30 dozen eggs. My job was putting these cans into the subzero freezers immediately after they were filled. The outside temperature usually ran around 100 degrees. The subzero freezers were so cold that when a can spilled, the contents froze solid as they hit the floor. The difference in temperatures was certainly a hotbed for continual colds.

     Another summer, I sorted past bills for a car dealership. Must have put thousands of pieces of paper in the proper order. No computers then! (sigh) I remember working for a man named "Stub" at another car dealership. I washed and detailed cars. For that hard work, I earned less than $30 a week.

     After college, while attending Moody Bible Institute, I remember having many different jobs, often at the same time! One winter, for instance, I parked cars on the MBI property for a dollar an hour. My feet were in slush and snow for 10 hours at a time. I did just about anything legal to get through school.

     However, the worst (and best character building) job I ever had was in that little Iowa town. Let me begin with a little background. I sang in a pretty popular boy’s quartet in high school. We were known as The Four Jays. I was Jerry, then there were two Johns, and our bass singer was Alan. Aha! Thought you caught me, eh? His last name was Jones.

     His father owned a chicken hatchery and feed store. One day Alan mentioned that his father needed a summer employee to work with the peanut shells. With lots of kids who wanted a job and not that many jobs, I was always on the lookout for additional employment.

     When I went to see his father, I was hired. Turned out that my job was to go in after school and on Saturdays and take care of the chicken coops. Specifically, I got to rake out all the "used" peanut shells. I think you can fill in the image. The building was NOT air conditioned. The shells were soggy with chicken droppings. The temperature was over 100 degrees and the smell was, well, HORRENDOUS!

     I can’t tell you how many times I thought about quitting. However, God had helped build some character inside me. I kept on raking out the shells. Was it easy? No way. Was it necessary? I thought so at the time. I used the money for clothes, shoes, paying for my cornet and bicycle. I learned a lot more by sticking it out than I would have from quitting. Maybe that experience is what helped me stick out a job at Moody where I had to thoroughly clean toilets in the restrooms! (g)

     Let me know about your most character building job. You can respond to this piece by hitting my name at the bottom of the page. I like hearing from you!

"ONLY WHEN IN MOTION"...

(These first two responses are rather long, but thought they might be especially interesting to you. (The first responder was a young person in my youth group when I was Youth Pastor at a church in Pensacola years ago.) If you want to find out more about the Lady Lexington, go to: http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/carriers/cv16.htm)

- I liked your latest, Jerry. You must have known I would respond! [smile]

     This is an issue with which I have often struggled--having spiritual knowledge in my head without translating it to my heart, clearly leaving the ship tied to the dock. Too much mental discipline and education, if not kept in perspective, can easily cause one to have understanding without accomplishment. And, as our video/internet generation has so clearly demonstrated, knowledge, without wisdom and the control of the Holy Spirit, is a very dangerous thing.

     By the way, my high school graduation (Pensacola High Class of '78) was on the deck of the USS LEXINGTON (CV 16). The commanding officer's son was in my high school graduation class. It was really a great moment. All the guests were seated on the flight deck. The students were seated on the aircraft elevator platform below decks. When the ceremony began, they raised us on the elevator platform to the flight deck. It was kind of neat for us to suddenly appear from nowhere!

     Moreover, when I was stationed in Pensacola from 1989-1992, I had the honor of coordinating the decommissioning ceremony for "LADY LEX". We had all the surviving commanding officers (23), the Chief of Naval Operations, two senators and one congressman in attendance.

- You need to get to Corpus Christi when you can. Not only will we, our church, be happy to see you and have some "Church", the Lady Lex is stationed here. It has been here now for around 10 years and is one of the major tourist attractions. It is anchored right next to our Texas State Aquarium. On board they have one of those giant screen movie theaters, places to eat and souvenir shops. On deck they have many different types of aircraft. Everything from WW ll. fighters to F-18 Eagles. So come on down we'll crank up the music and have some church.

- AS ALWAYS, GREAT article. Living in the area of the San Jacinto Monument and the BattleShip Texas, we have been on [and in] that ship SO MANY TIMES and each time, the kids "have taken the wheel", but had never thought about telling them WHY "nothing happens" when you turn the wheel. GREAT APPLICATION you made to that. Thanks again for allowing HIM to "speak thru you"!

- The ship, or the car, or the feet, have to be in motion for steering to have any effect. Thanks for this illustration which I need to be reminded of from time to time. We've been to the Aircraft Museum there; Didn't think about the aircraft carrier!

- Once again your article "zapped" me. All this week, I have been bothered by the fact that I have no goals in my life. Oh, sure, I have ideas of what I would like to do or where I would like to travel to, but I don't really have any concrete goals. I want to do His will. Tossing this around just yesterday, I likened it to "sitting on the fence"!!

     Then today I read your story. Now I know God is trying to tell me something. I know that I need to ask God to help me get off the fence where I am a sitting duck, and get in motion. What can I accomplish by sitting on the fence? Oh, it feels safe, and to a degree I can "see" life passing not only in front of me, but passing me right by. I know that I need to get in position where He can use me to His greatest advantage.

     Thanks for your articles, and pray that God shows me what He wants me to do. Your loved ones will be in my prayers. God Bless.

- I've been telling people for years that God cannot drive a parked car. I was reminded of that in your article, well-written as usual.

- I've gotten to tour an aircraft carrier. I was amazed when I first saw it in New York City. We came around a turn in our van and there it was, instant awe/intimidation. Later a few of us went and toured it. It was incredible, the size of the landing deck and then remembering you're on a boat. This boat, too, was anchored and very still. I suppose we go nowhere unless we let God give us the power, and are willing to pull up our anchors, sort of like pulling up our roots and going where God has called us trusting that He will steer us in the right direction.

- PapaJ, maybe I'm coming at this idea from a different angle than you, because I find that the exact opposite is true. In this technological age, everything goes faster and faster, including our lives. It isn't until I force myself to be still that I can allow God to "steer" me. Otherwise I'm just treading water or moving in the wrong direction. As a matter of fact, a friend of mine taught me a little exercise to do before pray. You sit quietly and pray, "Be still and know that I am God." Then, "Be still and know that I Am." Then, "Be still and know." Then, "Be still." And finally, "Be." I'll look forward to reading your responses on this piece. I found it thought- provoking and, oh, please pardon the pun, moving.

- I enjoyed your piece on the Lady Lex. It must be a fascinating tour. I find it neat to look back on my life and reflect on how God used obstacles in my path to gently steer me back on course. Things that, at the time, seemed terrible and unbearable helped make me the person I am today and put me into situations where I could use those lessons learned to help someone else. It is certainly true that God can turn anything into a blessing.

- You hit the nail on the head....AGAIN! God keeps us headed in the right direction if we allow Him to do so. When the ship is off course, maybe we need to sit back and think about who is steering the ship. If we're trying to do it all by ourselves, maybe we need help from a higher authority? I know many people who think they don't need a God, a Savior. But when the storms come, Who do they hold on to? The words of that wonderful old time hymn speak so clearly to me: "Jesus, Savior, pilot me; over life's tempestuous sea. Unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock ands treacherous shoal. Chart and compass come from Thee; Jesus, Savior, pilot me."