Weekend at the Workbench 001
The Week in Review: Deuteronomy 8 and a Montana Road Trip
This week, I left the jobsite behind at 4 a.m. Wednesday and pointed the truck toward Montana. My daughter is graduating—a full year early—from a college so remote her Mom hadn’t been back since senior year tours. And let me tell you, this drive feels less like a getaway and more like a pilgrimage.
She’s built something powerful up here. Quietly. Independently. Working through bitter winters and long nights to earn a shot at a top-tier racetrack job in Kentucky - she’s got a job as a barn manager at Turfway Park, in charge of 55 thoroughbreds. She’s already planning how to pull her horses across the country. No drama. No excuses. Just get-it-done.
And as I sit here—soaked in gratitude, watching her move into the next chapter of her life—I can see exactly where the blueprint came from. Some of it’s me. Some of it’s her mom. Some of it’s her own fire. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see the performance drive too.
She’s running hot. Just like I used to.
I don’t want to cool that fire. But I do hope this:
That she doesn’t have to burn out before she learns how to be still.
That service comes sooner.
That surrender doesn’t have to cost her everything first.
I see the difference in my own life now—not because I’ve figured it all out—but because I’m clear-headed enough to notice. I’m not waking up hungover. I’m not checking out in the most important moments. I’m here. Present. Grateful.
And Deuteronomy 8 keeps ringing in my ears:
“Take care lest you forget the Lord… lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’”
That’s the success test.
It’s not just about what we’ve built. It’s about how we carry it. Whether we see God’s fingerprints all over it—or think we did it all ourselves.
This weekend, I’m passing the test.
Not because I nailed the week.
But because I’m still at the bench. Heart open. Spirit checked.
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One Question:
Where are you tempted to take the credit this week?
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One Practice:
Before Sunday morning hits, take 5 minutes. Write a thank-you note. Not to a client. Not to a vendor.
To someone who helped form you—even if it was through pain.
Put gratitude in motion.
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Sabbath Reminder:
Rest isn’t a break from performance.
It’s a return to perspective