The view under the tractor with the owner deck removed.
Have you ever done something that made you immensely proud? You know…the kind of thing you really want to tell people but you’re afraid it might be boasting. It’s perfectly acceptable for Christians to take pride in their accomplishments as long as it doesn’t come from sinful pride. The Bible teaches us that pride can lead to self-centeredness and arrogance. However, there is nothing wrong in enjoying the fruits of your labors and taking pride in a job well done, as long as you are giving credit where credit is due. God gives us great gifts and talents, so we need to acknowledge His role in those abilities.
The mower deck after it was removed. It was so dirty and Mr. FixIt found several big cracks in the belt you see there. It turns the blades.
To that end, I am immensely proud of a job I did yesterday. The drive belt on my riding mower wore down so the thing wouldn’t move forward or backwards. I went to town on Wednesday and bought a new belt. After breakfast yesterday, Mr. FixIt and I went out to the building to put it on. We watched a couple of videos on YouTube explaining how to do it. The first was how to remove the mower deck. Of course, Mr. FixIt knows how to do that, but didn’t. He is very good about letting me learn how to do things around our little homestead. He was my coach while I did the work.
Trying to figure out how to get the belt off that pulley with the black rod in the way.
Removing the mower deck wasn’t that difficult. It is just a matter of removing a few cotter pins then pull the thing out from under the tractor. Let me tell you…that thing is HEAVY so it was great that Mr. FixIt was there to help. Once that was done, we had to push the tractor up on ramps, chock the wheels, and set the parking brake. That moves the tension off the drive belt and makes it easier to remove. I did everything step by step, but when I got to a certain place, the underside of the tractor didn’t look like the video. At this point we were hot and ready to take a break.
Cleaning the mower deck with a wire brush while Mr. FixIt sharpened the blades.
I looked up the exact model of Husqvarna we have and there was a video on changing the drive belt. When we watched it, the whole thing became clear and it didn’t take me but a few minutes to get the belt off. Putting it back on was merely reversing the steps. While I was working on the tractor, Mr. FixIt was working on the mower deck. It’s been quite a while since we took it apart so he cleaned the undercarriage, sharpened the blades, and put them back on. When he inspected the belt, it was old and cracked nearly all the way through. So, back to the tractor store for a new deck belt, and some new wheels for the mower deck. When we were checking out, the guys were talking about it being a difficult job and my sweet Mr. FixIt said, “My wife did the whole thing by herself!” The gentlemen were suitably impressed. Most people wouldn’t think of doing this kind of job themselves. I never did till Mr. FixIt came along. Doing this job ourselves saved us at least $300 and in this economy, that’s a lot of money.
It looks a lot better after Mr. FixIt blew the old grass off with the compressor.
I was proud. I am so grateful God blessed me with a brain that can figure out how to take things apart and put them back together again. He gifted me with mechanical skills that are normally not considered things that women do. That feeling of pride took me back to my childhood. My dad and I didn’t have a close relationship, but when I was young, he laid me across the fender of a pickup truck and showed me how to change the spark plugs and the oil. Even though I really didn’t do anything, my dad always set me back down on the ground and told me what a god job I did. I have so few warm memories of him, but that’s one I cherish.
A dirty and sunburned face means a a lot of work has been done.
It’s going to rain most of the day today, so the tractor will have to wait till tomorrow. In the meantime, I need to bake bread again and get ready for tomorrow’s college graduation party for the youngest of the FixIt family’s grandchildren.
Life is good, y’all!
🚜
“Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house.” Proverbs 24:27 NLT
***Gratitude Journal***
Today, I am grateful for the gifts God has given me and the health and strength to use them.