Here is a quick letter I wrote to a young man turning of age…

Jackson, I always loved that name… Jackson. It just seems to me to be a Man’s name… Jackson. Like Jackson Hole, or Jackson Wyoming. Places where men are still men.

You know, you probably don’t even remember me. The last time I spent time with you, you were just a toddler. And toddlers don’t remember much… unfortunately.

Your dad has asked me to give you an analogy; an analogy of the attributes of a Leatherman tool. Now, I have never owned one of these devices, yet it seems to me that every man I know has one. You have a problem, or a device that needs to be “fixed” and your man friend pulls out of his belt like a six shooter, the Leatherman ready to fix any problem. Most of the guys I know are now on their second or third generation of Leatherman. It seems to me to be the ultimate multi-task machine. Man, you have a plier, knife, screwdriver, nail-filer… Like a Swiss army knife, but a Man’s Swiss army knife, if you know what I mean. Man, this thing goes on your belt… not a puny, cute “red thing” that slips quietly in your pocket. No true man pulls his Swiss Army Knife out of his pocket and says, “Man, look at this thing!” But a Leatherman? Watch out…

Unfortunately, like I said, I have never owned one. I think it only because, I couldn’t get used to the idea of it “hanging” on my belt like a six shooter, ready to draw. Maybe it is that last vestige of the old west. Maybe, I was never quite a “man.” Who knows? I think I can only handle one tool at a time. I don’t like to multi-task, to do multiple things at a time. But for some reason (now I am moving to philosophy here, attributes like your dad said…. ), the life God has given me, and I believe to every man ultimately, is a life where you are thrust upon with many tasks at once, a true multitask. I don’t think I have ever had a time in my life where I only had one task to focus on. Life for me has been more like juggling balls. And you never quite seem to get your act together, once you figure out how to keep all four of your balls floating gracefully at once, God throws in another…. then another… and another. Fortunately, once in a while, a ball is removed and you get a breather, but only for a moment it seems, and then you are back again juggling the remaining balls… multi-tasking.

If I could wax philosophical, I would say life is like a Leatherman, every ball you are juggling is different and requires different skills to manage, and some of the time you’re using all your tools at the same time. What tools you ask? Well, some tools are tools that are specific to the task; tools like your education, learned skills, talents and abilities. These are helpful. Then there are breakdowns in these skills through greed, lying, flattery, intolerance and many more. But there are more important tools like wisdom, humility, patience, understanding, joy, trust, hope, and most important Love. Love is like that little “nut” that holds the whole Leatherman together. Once it is gone, the whole thing falls apart. Love is important! But you need them all, like a Leatherman!

I don’t know if you will even read this at thirteen years old and understand what I am saying. I don’t know if you will still have this epistle years from now when you realize, “Yes, Chris was right.” “Life happens“ as someone has said. And you never quite get your act together. You always feel a little behind the ball, “homeless” in this life and no Leatherman tool will take you fully home. As each ball is juggled, you really don’t get it quite right, try as you may, because this life is just a shadow and was never designed to be totally figured out, at least in the sense where we have every answer to every problem. Because possibly we might just get a little too comfortable here; we may not see that we were made for something more, someone else. We will never be quite satisfied here on earth, because our home is not here!

Jackson, my prayer for you, as it is for my children, is that you might find the tool that has answer for every problem. I think you have been told about Him. Yes, this tool is a person, who became “homeless” in order to bring you home. Jesus Christ.

Maybe that is why someone invented the Leatherman; in hopes that one tool would “rule them all.” I hope this person was not disappointed when he realized that his Leatherman really didn’t have the answer…..

Love to the “little man” I played with many years ago….

Chris Taylor, alias: always your Dad’s best friend….