Bob Davidson was born and raised north of Quebec, Montreal, Canada in a family of five children. He is of the fourth generation of his family in the area. His town had 700 people and he was raised in a rural area. Both sets of grandparents lived in the same community. Bob’s grandfathers were influencers in his life.Bob’s parents divorced when he was eight. Bob doesn’t have good memories of his parents. Bob’s mother left before the divorce and he didn’t hear from her again until just before he got married. Bob’s father remarried and his stepmother was very good to him. Bob tells about the various places his family moved to in Canada before moving to the U.S. When Bob was 15, his father moved to Atlanta, Georgia to help Bob’s uncle manage his restaurant bars. The family members who moved were Bob’s father, stepmother, step-sister, Bob, and his older sister.Bob had been playing junior hockey at age 15 when his family moved to Atlanta the same year the Flames left and went to Alberta. He traveled all over the Southeast to play amateur hockey. His team won a couple of championships. He met his future brother-in-law playing hockey. They became best friends. They married each other’s sisters.Bob shares details of his history in hockey, playing center and right wing. Bob loved the fights. The championship teams Bob was on were “Beer League,” without trophies. Bob played until he was 31, at the time his first child came.In high school, Bob worked in his uncle’s restaurants. A friend of his uncle’s had an electrical contracting business. Bob started working for him as well as for his uncle. After three or four years, Bob chose to go into the electrical field and worked for that company for a couple of years. Bob went to another contractor and stayed with him for 16 years.Bob’s relationship with his father improved after Bob’s high school graduation. Growing up with parents who drank every day, Bob also was a drinker. For years, he drank a lot and drank himself to sleep every night.Jim takes a minute to publicly affirm Bob for courageously sharing his history of drinking with the listeners.Bob drank half of his life away, and in part, it cost him a business he was running with a good friend.Bob was interested in science and math and that influenced him to train as an electrician. Bob addresses the younger listener on how to enter the electrical trade. You can go the union route and become a journeyman in four or five years, earning a full-time wage as you do. You can also be trained on the job working for a company. The pay is good.College is a good choice for some but the trades are good paths to a good income. Electricity and the other trades are not going away. Power is going to be in demand.Bob talks about his journey working for a contractor. He started as a cord man and “box nailer upper.” Once he demonstrated his ability, he was given more tasks, such as pulling wire and making taps. He built electrical panels, wired up air conditioners, and more. He was put on a task for four months and when he became skilled at that task they gave him a new task for four months. He worked for two years before anyone taught him how electricity worked. Then he learned things like troubleshooting three-way switches and electrical issues.Bob shifted to full-time electrical work after high school at about age 20. At that time, he was making $4.25 an hour. Now a journeyman makes about $30.00 an hour.Bob tells about a mistake he made swapping metal halide lights for fluorescent lights on outside wall lighting. One side didn’t work, and he tested it hot. He was kneeling in wet grass and the back of his hand touched a live wire with 480 volts. It knocked him out. When he woke up, he turned off the power, put the cover back on, and left. Every muscle in his body hurt for about six weeks as if he had just done a workout.Another time, Bob was reaching up into a ceiling to replace fluorescent lights. He had turned off the light switch but not the power. The 120-volt relays were hot. His pliers hit power. He was on a 12-foot ladder and was thrown backward. He grabbed the ceiling grid. He estimates he tore out about 500 square feet of ceiling tile on his way down but he landed gently, like sitting in a chair. Jim wishes he had seen that.After both events, Bob wondered how he was still alive. He was a new believer at the time and he was very thankful to be able to walk away from them. He feels that God preserved him to be here for his son.There was a point in Bob’s life that no matter how much he drank, he stopped getting drunk. He knew something was wrong. Bob’s boss was a believer. On New Year’s Day of 2000, Bob called him and asked for directions to the church. Bob started attending church. He got saved on February 13th.Bob worked for his boss for 14 years before being influenced to reach out to Jesus. Bob had hunted with his boss and other men and he noticed that none of them were “partying.” Bob appreciated how the men interacted with each other. In 16 years of working for his boss, Bob saw him angry only one time. In the years since Bob has been saved, he grew to learn why his boss was so even-tempered.When Bob was saved, his son was five years old. His relationship with his wife was one reason Bob felt he needed to straighten out. He also wanted to show his son a better way than his father had shown him.After being saved, Bob reconciled himself with two men with whom he had had serious issues. God put them in his path. He apologized and they were receptive. When Bob has an issue with someone now, he is able to restrain his emotion and behavior so it doesn’t turn into a big issue. Jim quotes 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (KJV). The Holy Spirit grants you the power to restrain yourself from fighting.

 

Any of the trades, electrician, instrument electrician, plumber, HVAC, have the potential for a good living. About five years ago, Bob left the industry, worn out after several surgeries.One good thing Bob remembers about his father is that he never turned anyone away. He brought men home for a meal, a hot shower, and a place to sleep if they needed it. On the other hand, his father didn’t show restraint or self-control when he was angry and he beat his children when angry. Bob discusses how he disciplined his son for disrespect. Jim talks about how we restrain ourselves. The Holy Spirit in our lives empowers us to act as God wants us to act.Bob would like to have spent more time with his son as he grew. Jim says that as a father, sacrificing for your children means not doing what you want to do but investing time with your children. Bob advises pouring into your children as much as possible and giving them everything they need to succeed. He believes he and his wife did that as much as possible with their son. His son is a very successful adult.

 

Bob talks about preparing his son to be an independent adult and dealing with teenage tantrums. Children need to be taught there are consequences to what they do and say. Bob had his faults as a father. He was not perfect. His son has seen his good and bad sides. Jim talks about how God lifts us from our problems.Bob talks about spending time with adult children, as often as possible. Make time for things that are important to you, especially family.If you don’t have God in your life, Jim and Bob would encourage you to get God in your life. He has been pursuing you.Did Bob’s job allow him enough time with his family? Time is more important than money. Don’t pursue something empty for money. Bob would not trade having a child for any amount of money. For Bob, the family is more important than money.

 

What about boys who don’t have fathers in their lives? A large number of children are being raised without fathers. Jim calls this selfishness on the part of the absent men.Bob serves in an organization for youth, Devoted to Youth Outdoors. They take special needs kids and underprivileged kids camping, hunting, and fishing. They also share the gospel as they can.Jim and Bob talk about fly fishing techniques and the different fly knots used. Bob uses a triple rig that bounces off the stream’s bottom. If you use a fly that looks wrong, you are wasting time. Bob talks about fish behavior. You need to know where the fish are and where they will bite. The fish stay in the eddies. You need to find the spot where the current carries the bait to appear as lifelike as possible.

 

Call to Action: Get involved. Pour out your life into young men who do not have fathers to influence them. Also, please send your guest suggestions to Jim. Jim is looking for guests who will be vulnerable about their mistakes and share their successes. Email any questions about the trades to Jim at [email protected]. Jim will network you with Bob.

 

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