Has anyone ever asked you to do something, and you thought, “that’s too simple and it will not work.” While reading my devotion I came across the word “exponentially.” What was odd, I heard “growing exponential” in a sermon the day before. Sometimes when I do not know what a word means, I generally see how it is used in the sentence. This time, since it crossed my path twice, I looked it up. The definition did not help so I looked to see a common sense use of “exponentially.”
What I found was an old math equation using a penny. It goes like this: Would you work for a day for a penny if I
doubled it every day for 30 days? Most
people say no. In fact, I asked my secretary Pam, and
she said no. I would!
If I work for a penny a day, $0.01,
and double it each day on the thirtieth day, I would be paid $10,737,418.24 for that day. Did I ever tell you that algebra was the
easiest subject I ever took? This exponential function can be represented
by the equation: f(x) = 0.01(2x) where x
= the day number. If you plug in 30 for x, you get f(x) = 0.01×230
= 10,737,418.24. The problem, no pun
intended, is the simplicity of a penny a day.
Take my friend Keilan. After winter shut down at the cement plant,
Keilan and I were in the process of starting up the cement kilns. The coal hoppers had a slide at the bottom above
the coal mills. Normally it took someone
hammering the slide out of the hopper.
It was hard to open when the hoppers were empty and very difficult when
tons of coal was on top of the slide.
Knowing how problematical it was, I had greased the slide before pushing
it in place when the hopper emptied for shutdown. The shift supervisor instructed Keilan to
make sure the slide was out while the tanks were empty.
Keilan could not find a
sledgehammer. Usually, they were
everywhere. I inquired why he needed a
sledgehammer. Keilan could be easily frustrated;
worried coal would be put into the hoppers before he could get the slide out. He had a few special words for me and again
asked if I knew where there was a sledgehammer.
I asked him if he had tried to pull the slide out of the hopper. I got a few choice words explaining that it
was impossible to do that.
Keilan did not know was while he
was in search of the hiding sledgehammers I went to see if I could pull out the
slide knowing I had greased it while the hopper was empty. It pulled right out. I pushed it back in for a little fun with
Keilan.
The bamboozled Keilan returned with
no sledgehammer. I asked again if he had
tried to pull out the slide. After a few
more inapt words from him and some persuading words from me, Keilan consented
to try to pull the slide.
If I had not caught him, he yanked
the slide with the fury of an agitated Hercules; he would have gone over a safety
rail and fallen twenty feet onto concrete.
It was funny and Keilan and the slide, which weighed about seventy-five lbs.,
were heavy. I think Keilan would have
tried to kill me, but he was too indebted since I caught him. Again, the solution was too simple.
On another occasion, my friend
Bailey, a carpenter at the
Bailey was a college graduate and
was reluctant to believe what he termed voodoo and old wives' tales. Ashleigh grew worse, Bailey spent more money,
and we encouraged him to use a thrash doctor.
One day an officer from the
University police department visited the carpenter shop for a cup of
coffee. The morning conversation was the
status of Ashleigh’s mouth and Bailey’s checking account. Hearing our advice to see the thrash doctor,
which do not charge for services rendered, Officer Satterwhite advised Bailey
to take her to the thrash doctor. Not
believing my co-worker and me, Bailey took Ashleigh to Officer Satterwhite’s
mother, a thrash doctor. One trip healed
Ashleigh. The solution was too simple.
So
Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the
house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a
messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in