The boll weevil is an insect. During the 1910s and 20s, the boll weevil devastated cotton production in the Southern states of the U.S.A. Nonetheless, in 1919, the town of Enterprise, Alabama built a monument to honor the boll weevil and what it had done to benefit the South.

Why? Because the boll weevil forced people to change, adapt and grow:

In Coffee County, almost 60 percent of the cotton production was destroyed. Farmers faced bankruptcy and the area economy was at stake. Farmers turned to peanuts and other crops to overcome the damage brought by the boll weevil.

By 1917, Coffee County produced and harvested more peanuts than any other county in the nation. Seventy-six years later, in 1993, Coffee County still ranked 4th in the state of Alabama with 128,000 acres planted in peanuts. In gratitude for the lessons taught, residents erected the world’s only monument to an agricultural pest, the boll Weevil Monument. The monument, dedicated on December 11, 1919, stands in the center of the downtown district at the intersection of Main Street and College Street. The Boll Weevil Monument is a symbol of man’s willingness and ability to adjust to adversity. Citizens continue to remind visitors and newcomers to the city the lesson of the boll weevil.

The base of the monument is inscribed: “In profound appreciation of the boll weevil and what it has done as the herald of prosperity this monument was erected by the citizens of Enterprise, Coffee County, Alabama.”

What a marvelous attitude! No wonder the town is called “Enterprise.”

Has your church or organization reached such a devastated state yet? If and when it does, what will be your attitude? Will you fold up and move on? Or will you be like the people of Enterprise? Someone has said attitude isn’t a big thing, it is everything. For some reason in many devastating settings, people like to pass the blame, wallow in the mire, without any attempt to find a viable working alternative.

Perhaps it is the “working” that keeps many from seeking the alternative. Or could it be any alternative would require change, and everyone knows the only one who likes change is a baby with a wet diaper.

When those times of devastation come and threaten to destroy life as we are used to, we need to welcome the opportunity to grow into something we have not yet considered. The economy from peanuts produced in Coffee County far outweighed what the cotton ever brought in. Yet, the people of Coffee County would never have known the profitability and economy had it not been for that pesky boll weevil.

When you face adversity as a family, individual, church, or organization, look to the one who created everything. He alone knows what is around the corner for your future. Trust Him. He can do more with what little is left over after adversity, than you could do with riches of bygone years. It is okay to change, adapt, and grow in a different mindset. Just ask the people of Enterprise, AL.

For more information on this or other areas of interest, contact George Yates and visit SonC.A.R.E. Ministries.