Measure Twice, Cut Once

"Measure twice, cut once." This is about all I know when it comes to woodworking. It goes against my nature (which is why I probably have never built anything). I much prefer the tongue-in-cheek advice of one craftsman who led a crew building an addition to a church I used to attend: "Close enough, nail it," he would say with a smile. That's my style! I lack the patience for precision and the passion for excellence (in wood) that good carpentry requires.

Having said this, I know a great job when I see it. I recently hired a guy who calls himself an apprentice to build a shelving unit in our basement. My expectation would have been met with several, functional, straight and roughly the same length shelves that didn't collapse when filled with books. To my delight it grew into a beautiful, carefully crafted furnishing - and as a bonus, it was totally functional.

Exodus 37 describes the ultimate building project, the Ark of the Covenant of God. This was the place where God chose to be present among the people of Israel; a wooden box in which had been placed the tablets of the Law, a pot of manna with which God had fed the Israelites in the wilderness, and Aaron's budded staff. This was more than a box, it was a treasure trove of relics that signified God's presence. God contracted the job out to a craftsman named Bezalel, a guy God described as "filled with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills." (Exodus 35.30).

As for me, put a guitar in my hands or tell me to "craft" a sermon, and I'm on it. I leave the wood to others who care enough to measure twice, cut once. Both are pleasing passions to God but more important, both come from Him, the author of design, the author of music and the author of truth.