An idiot speaks

The only service I have missed at church was the Sunday the police came to get me so the paramedics could help my wife who has a mini-stroke.  She had just been released from the hospital after suffering from a brain aneurysm.  I teach Sunday School and am the Deacon of the church.  But before I became the deacon and Sunday School teacher and even before I could attend the Church on a full time bases, I volunteered to mow the grass. 

  I started by using my lawn mower but it was a hassle loading it up every week so I purchased one to keep at the church.  At the end of the mowing season the vines and briars that surrounded the church was taken over more and more yard.  I didn't have many tools, a lopper, a small handsaw, and a mattock so they had to do.  I cleared about half the wooded area that winter.  At the end of last summer I hit a small stump and damaged the mower.  I purchased a rider for use this year.  Last winter I purchased a chain saw and started  clearing out the remainder of the property.  several years prior a bunch of trees had been cut down and left.  The fallen trees dried out and vine entangled the limbs and trucks and briars grew up and wild bushes and small trees and tall, thick weeds and it was a nightmare to clean out.  I spent over $200.00 on replacement chain saw chains. 

This summer I again planted pumpkins in the cleared area but the heavy rains caused the seeds to rot and few pumpkins came up and the weeds eventually killed the remaining pumpkins so I was left with a field of tall weeds.  I have spent the last several weeks pulling the weeds.  I even cleaned off a fifty foot strip eight feet wide that belonged to the neighbor. 

I've painted, power washed the church, put up fencing, and I take care of the trash and recycling and the sign out front and any expenses I've incurred have been out of pocket.  I recently purchased a good quality weed eater to use at the church. 

There was an elderly gentleman that had a hard time getting his lawn mowed so I went over to his house every now and then and cut his grass for him. 

All this work I've done for free without complaining and expecting nothing in return.  I'm not paid nor compensated in any way for my equipment or my labor.  It is something I do because I want to do it. 

Today I made myself available for a family of a heart attack victim who are faced with the decision concerning whether to continue life support or terminate the mans life.  One of the members of or church was sitting between me and the pastor.  He leaned over to say something to the preacher in secret but I saw him glance at me besides him gesturing with a hand in my direction.  I asked them what was going on. 

The man had told the pastor to tell me to go mow his grass because his lawn mower broke.  And that's why I say "An idiot spoke."