StillWatersIowa: Ora et Labora et Damus

Stories connect us. Our life's stories are often like the ones in the Louis L'Amour westerns and the Amish romances. At first it seems like nothing works out. Then in the end, everything works out. On March 1, 1974 on a Friday night, Donna and Arlin were married at Central Reformed Church in Oskaloosa. Below was Donna's immediate family and her new husband.

Last evening we celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in the cabin. Celebrating how everything worked out. In 1974 I was a senior in high school. At the time it seemed nothing was working out for me. I ended up attending Donna and Arlin's wedding. However it wasn't to see them. It was to see Donna's bridesmaid, her sister.

One year and one week later on March 7, 1975, in that same church, I was blessed to marry that bridesmaid sister. And today Jan and I celebrate how God continues to work things out in our lives.

In the late 1950s, Donna and Jan's father, Gene, had an old Vermeer tiling machine. According to most stories, one of only two made by Gary Vermeer. In 1973 Gene traded that very old tiler for a Vermeer 400. And his first tiling machine sits in the Vermeer Pavilion Museum. Gene raised that 400 6 inches. He widened and lengthened the tracks. And he put a diesel motor in it. With Gene's permission, Vermeer engineers came to the farm and took photos of Gene's 400 tiler improvements. Those improvements were put into production. And that production became the popular Vermeer 600 trencher. Thanks for the picture.

Tuesday Kevin, from Quincy, Illinois, came to help tweak BJ's Wolfe chain tiling machine. Kevin told us his grandfather owned their first tiling machine in 1911 in Missouri. Kevin has worked with Vermeers as well as Speicher on trenchers. He owned Port Industries until 2020 which built Hydramaxx tiling machines. He currently works for Wolfe. Below is Alex, Kurt, John, BJ, and Kevin.

So what in the world does our title this morning Ora et Labora et Damus mean? And how does it fit in this story. Hang in there. It's Latin. And I had these words on my flip phone before cell phones got smart. Below is Dr. John's dentist office early in the morning. And I have been spending at lot of time there getting ready for teeth implants.

Our title says Pray and Work and Give in English. I'm not excluding the wonderful women in our lives this morning. However I'd like to challenge us men to think outside the box. Which makes us uncomfortable.

Grandson John and I went to a field near Ottumwa on a cold afternoon to pick up some equipment including this tile boot for BJ's Wolfe plow. In the process John injured his hand, breaking a bone, and requiring stitches.

Last week our purple Pete's motor went kaput. This week Kurt's clutch went out. We had to take it in for a replacement.

It's easy to become confused by our weather this winter. Lack of snow and cold. 20% humidity, 25mph winds, and 76 degrees in February. Followed by 11 degrees the following morning. Our crew spent the cold days working in the shop.

Ora. Men, are you a spiritual leader in your family? Do you pray? Are you comfortable talking to God on your knees? Do you have a regular time and place for devotions? Things are going to get worse before they get better. Some think cell service interruptions. Some say down internet. Others think the power grid in our country is fragile. I doubt if a pandemic is used again. I'm not suggesting any of these will happen. However we will need real men that are connected to God. And our country's culture is fighting this, wanting weak fearful men.

Labora. When Cassia took John in to the ER to get sewed up, the doctor told John his hands were as tough as leather gloves, and asked what he did for work. John told him he had been helping his Dad tile when he was not in high school. Men, are we working to our potential? Are we taking advantage of opportunities? Men my age, is our goal to finish strong, for others, and not just ourselves? Are we teaching the next generations the value and satisfaction of work? Our work force is shrinking at an alarming rate.

Damus. Men, are we giving? By cherishing, providing for, and protecting the women we love? Are we teaching our children to give? Are we sharing our talents and abilities? Are we ok when others get the credit? For maybe something we helped with? Are we giving leadership opportunities to our children. And those we work with? We talked about nothing working out and everything working out. Most times life works out when we don't mind who gets the credit. Are we giving to God?