Woodworking gives you a lot of time to think and reflect. I really enjoy it and honestly I look at it as a ministry. I have started doing table sets and other projects for families. We are “Better Together”, and helping families is another way to bring people closer. People come together at a great table… However, there are a lot of parallels…. and a few main points come to my mind: 1) People see the finished product 2) You can do anything with the right tools 3) You build it to give it away 4) Your hands tell a story

1. People see the finished product, they don’t see the splinters, cuts, frustrations, screw ups, mis-measurements, constant clean up… Every success has a myriad of problems to work through… Our world is teaching us to see people through a filter, perception, or created narrative. We only see the guys performing, the speaker, the picture on instagram, etc… We judge a lot of people on what we see from the outside… But we really have no idea what they have been through or what they currently battle each day. Everyday, we all have frustrations, screw ups, and things to clean up. We tend to judge ourselves on what we are battling and compare ourselves to someone else’s finished product.
2. It is said that you can do anything with the right tools…. This is true to some degree, with the right tools, I feel like I can build anything. You can be fully capable to the task, but without the right tools, the project cannot be completed. We need to realize that we are fully capable of doing so much more in this world. Some of us feel incapable, but all you need is the right tools in your tool box. You may just need the right life strategy, mindset, helper, education etc… A great carpenter always is trying to acquire more tools. We too need to constantly develop; surround yourself with the right people, learn from the right people, read the right things, and think the right thoughts. With the right tools, there is no telling what you accomplish.
3. You build it, to give it away…… My favorite part of building anything, is seeing the joy in the faces of the people during pick up. Knowing that I will have a small part in bringing their family closer together. We spend a great majority of our lives thinking it is about us… Gaining status or wealth, climbing the ladder, fulfilling our dreams., etc… However glorious this maybe, we ultimately gain to give it away. To help other people build their lives and impact others for good. I recently spoke with a friend that acquired a tremendous speaking opportunity. He was really excited and I told him “That getting to speak is certainly good for your name and career. However, to remember that it is ultimately about sharing our God given experience to help others. This is just the beginning of how you can reach more people by giving others the tools to impact.” Whatever we are building in our lives, is ultimately a platform for us to helps others and pass on our experience. Nothing we do is only for us….
4. Your hands tell a story… Every scar, cut, and callous has a story. Their is pride in the scars… Scars are a sign of victory… A sign of either what you have accomplished or what you have been through… When a person has been through the fire, through hard times, and has found their way to the other side of the storm. They are given a gift, they are blessed with the gift of “awareness and empathy.” They are able to see things and emotions in people that others cannot. They are able to relate to others in times when others cannot. They are able to use their story to provide hope to the person who feels hopeless. They are better equipped to let others know they are not alone. Their hands tell a story, and with those hands they can grab hold of others, pull them from their pit, and help them stand on solid ground again.

“They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” Acts 2:46