Dad's Workshop

As you may know, my father passed way just over five months ago. As part of the on-going process of life, our extended family spent the last two days, putting a roof on mom’s garage and cleaning out dad’s workshop and garage. What a lot of stuff! There were soooo many nails, nut, bolts, screws, and pieces of wood. There was no way my dad in three lifetimes could have used all those things. They mostly went in the dumpster and then a man came by and took what he wanted and stuffed it into his car. I know there were some worthless things in the pile. 

But beautiful items came from my dad’s workshop when he had the strength and drive for it. So I keep my eyes on the boat shelf, the headboards, the night stand and chest, the garden cabinet, the knife rack and many other precious items that have adorned my homes. And whatever he made was intended for a particular person or was a people-benefitting project. 

The items that made their way to the dumpster were now worthless (except to the guy who rummaged through them) because they were broken, rusted, outdated, damaged, stained, disintegrated or a mystery. How many times we said, “I wonder what Dad used this for?” or “What did he have in mind for these odd pieces of wood.” 

What a perfect backdrop that the Spirit gave me in preparation for what He had for me this morning from His precious, living Word in Psalm 119:37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. 

Those workshop items are worthless because the man is no longer in the workshop. Without his imagination those pieces of wood were just wood scraps. Those cans of nails have no home. Thankfully, Dad’s eyes – like my Heavenly Father’s – were always set on items of value -– people. And I’m eternally grateful to have been one (among many) of those people.