I have seen individuals undertake and complete significant and complicated projects all by themselves. Building a house or a structure is normally the sort of thing that a team or multiple teams of workers will complete, but sometimes an individual makes the decision to undertake the entire project without any other help. It takes a working knowledge of the laws of physics and the construction or use of various leveraging or holding devices to compensate for the lack of additional hands that could otherwise stabilize a heavy load, as well as an incredible amount of personal strength and patience to complete various tasks, but it can be done.
Here on Daufuskie, where we are separated from the mainland and a much larger supply of labor, it is easier to understand why someone might attempt to do something like this alone. Too often people tell you that they will show up, only to leave you hanging, so as the adage goes, “if you want something done right, do it yourself.” But doing things by yourself can take substantially longer than it would if you had a single person helping you. The added efficiency of twice the labor doesn’t merely cut the project time in half; sometimes two people working together can do in one day what one person would need all week to accomplish. Further, two sets of eyes can see if something is aligned. Two sets of ears can hear if something sounds wrong. And two minds bouncing ideas off each other can find solutions that might elude one person. Two really are better than one.
Too often, the decision to do it ourselves really boils down to wanting to control our own destiny – to do it our way, on our terms, including starting on our timeline. It takes more planning and coordination to work with others, and it is easy to confuse the upfront investment of time with wasted effort, because it seems like nothing is actually being built during that period. But if there is someone willing to work alongside you, perhaps in exchange for you then working alongside them, you both ultimately wind up with better end products, completed more rapidly than if you had each tried to do it yourself. That seems like a reasonable tradeoff for loosening your grip on your own destiny.
When God first made man, He looked down on Adam and declared that it was not good for man to be alone. Later, the author of Ecclesiastes declared that two were better than one, for a variety of reasons. It is timeless wisdom and simple common sense – just because you are capable of doing something yourself doesn’t mean that is the best approach. We were created to work together, and we have millennia of evidence to demonstrate that truth. So, the next time you think you need to take the reins by yourself, pause for a moment and ask someone else if they might want to come alongside you. You just might be surprised by what you can accomplish.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron