Dwindling Resources

Dwindling Resources

MY FATHER WAS A QUIET, gentle man—in every way a gentleman, and wise. Born in 1904 and raised on a dusty farm in northwest Texas, Daddy left school to help support the family when he was fourteen.

Twenty-five years later, Daddy found himself working to feed a family of five during the Great Depression. He watched both world wars from home; he was too young to serve in World War I and too old to serve in World War II. But he participated in the sacrifices that were required by all Americans. During this time he learned how to make good decisions, and he learned how to conserve resources.

In the 1970s, when a gallon of milk soared 88 percent to $$216 a gallon, Daddy said, “You haven’t seen anything yet” and then encouraged me to drink the last drop. “You pour it; you drink it” was the motto in our house. There was no wasting even a drop of milk.

I’m not sure what we paid per kilowatt, but clearly it was expensive to cool and light our 1,100 square-foot home because every month he claimed “highway robbery” as he opened the electricity bill. I wouldn’t even make it to the doorway before he’d turn the lights out behind me.

By 1980, as America was still reeling from our first energy crisis and gas had just soared above one dollar a gallon for the first time in history, Daddy told me, “This is only the beginning.” He encouraged me to drive slower and “coast to the stop sign.”

Daddy didn’t retire on a pension but relied solely on Social Security. For thirty-two years, he added to his little nest egg while living a full life on that small income.

But more importantly than encouraging me to conserve our tangible resources, Daddy taught me something about conserving our most precious intangible resources—friendship, personal energy, hope, love, and wonder.

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9)

I’m still learning from the old man.