The "Work" is the Reward
Don leans over the open hood of a car in his garage. It won’t start. Hasn’t moved in a year. But it will. In fact, when he is done with it, it may reach over 200 mph. After all, it has in the past. This is not just any car. It’s a 1968 Out of Sight Camaro funny car. Don is meticulous. He has spent over a year and a half to restore the body alone—not to mention overhauling the engine.
Some might say Don was born with a wrench in his hand and grease under his fingernails. Others might say he just loves to “fix stuff,” work with his hands, restore cars to their former glory, make them better than the original—faster. Maybe that’s why he invests so much time with every detail—including hunting down vintage parts. It must be done right.
Today, his back might be a little sore from bending over an open hood. Perhaps because he has been bending over a hood since he was a teenager—some forty years ago. The question is why does this humble former senior project engineer spend so much time under the hood of drag cars of the 60s? Is he obsessed? No. Just passionate. Don loves preserving vintage cars and drag racing history. So, when he isn’t racing them, he’s restoring them. Maybe it’s true—he was born with a wrench in his hand.
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Before I go any further, you might think this blog is about cars or drag racing history. It’s NOT. It’s about passion. And God-given talent. Like yours.
Max Lucado, one of the leading inspirational writers in America today, said in his book Cure for the Common Life:
“Look back over your life. What have you consistently done well? What have you loved to do? Stand at the intersection of your affections and successes and find your uniqueness…What is the fire that consumes you? What were you made to do?”
Max Lucado
Ron works in his garage too. But he’s not tuning engines, he’s turning wood—into art. An accomplished woodcarver, with the skill of a surgeon with a scalpel, he carves a piece of cypress wood into a lighthouse. It’s easy for him—just carve away everything that is not a lighthouse.
Susanne stares at an outdoor scene that will take your breath away—then she patiently and skillfully transfers the landscape to the canvas in front of her. It may end up on her wall—your wall—or the wall in a museum. She loves to paint with watercolors. And her work blesses every customer. She has been quietly—and oh so humbly—painting for years. Why? Passion. Peace. And perhaps, as Lucado says, “to stand at the intersection of her affections and successes to find her uniqueness.” She is unique. And so is her work.
Richard is writing in his home office. He’s editing a manuscript for the thirteenth time—and he’ll do it again and again. He wants his forty-eighth novel to be a bestseller. An empty pipe dream? No. His first forty-seven novels are all bestsellers. When he’s done, his manuscript will be so polished, it will read more like poetry than prose. Why? He writes for the same reason as the others. Passion. But not just for writing, for people.
Kent lives in Seattle. He’s an unassuming man with the same passion as Don. He has five garages. A race car in each of them. He is not rich. Or flamboyant. He just loves to fix things—like his father. And he loves to race cars. It’s in his blood—and his family. His wife, Sue, has the same fever—and several drag racing trophies to show for it. Why? She shares her husband’s passion.
We all have passions. Want to know what your passion is? Lucado says, “Examine your tools and discover it. Your ability unveils your destiny.”
What do these people have in common other than they are pursuing their passions? They all understand that while they are striving to achieve different personal goals, they realize the “process” is the end. They recognize the “work” is the real reward. My goal as an author is to be published—but I write because I love how I feel when I’m putting words on paper. Writing is the fire that consumes me. It’s what I was made to do—so I’m doing it.
So, when it is all said and done, if Don’s car fails to run, if Ron’s woodcarving doesn’t turn out, if Susanne’s painting is less than she imagined, if Kent or Sue finish second in the drag race, or if the book I’m writing is never published—there is still us—all of us, giving all of ourselves to the “work” we love. To the fire that burns inside us.
The late singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot was declared Canada’s greatest songwriter and enjoyed international success in folk, country, and popular rock music. He was once asked if he thought he was a legend. His reply? “I’m more interested in doing the work than being the legend.”
You see, no matter where our project goes—or doesn’t go—our time is never wasted. It’s invested. It’s true. In the end, the work is the reward. And the joy comes from performing the work.
I often remind myself that music sounds as sweet in the rehearsal hall as the concert hall.
After all, the process is the true masterpiece.
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SOMETHING TO CHEW ON: In Max Lucado’s book, Cure for the Common Life, he asks, “What is the fire that consumes you? What were you made to do? Examine your tools and discover it. Your ability unveils your destiny.”
What are you passionate about? Are you using your talents?
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Photo above of Don Tyree-Francis with his 1968 Out of Sight Camaro funny car. Photo taken by his wife, Jeanne Tyree-Francis. (By the way, Jeanne is passionate about photography.)
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