My Tool Box…
The men in my world–hubby, two adult sons, two grandsons–are all about tools. I always know what I can buy them at holiday time. Whether it’s a gadget for the garage, kitchen or barbecue, it’s a surefire way to make points. One Christmas, Les gave our sons each a fancy-dancy, fully loaded toolbox, and I must say I never saw either of them levitate over a gift like they did over that metal chest of boy-toys.
When I thought about different kinds of tools, I remembered a proverb about a woman building her house: Proverbs 14:14a The wise woman builds her house. It reminded me that women, too, have need of a select kit for the building of their homes. So I rustled around my toolbox and found a few tools that have helped me to be wise.
Faith: My faith in Christ is the cornerstone of my life and my home. I confess I haven’t always been the sweetest wife or hormonally consistent mom, but because Christ was the bottom line in our family’s relationships, we have all survived each other.
Love: Because love covers “a multitude of sins” (I Peter 4:8b), it’s the perfect all purpose tool for our kits. When all else fails, pull out love, and you will find it is able to do what no other tool can accomplish: it adjusts attitudes, hammers defenses, calibrates perspectives and covered offenses.
Humor: This is an essential tool that securely fastens down good mental health and helps to establish social savvy. Laughter disarms, relaxes, distracts, enhances, and connects us to one another. There is no sweeter melody than when our families laugh together!
Forgiveness: I keep saying each tool is essential, and quite honestly, the ones I’ve mentioned are, and this one is no exception. People hurt people. That’s just the way it goes in this kick-the-can world. And the more we care for someone, the deeper the potential for injuring that person. We set unfair expectations on others when we’re shocked that they hurt and disappoint us. Sooner or later, everyone disappoints everyone. God said we would do that to each other. That makes forgiveness key to a family’s ongoing survival.
Faith, love, humor, and forgiveness are God-given tools that help us build our homes and make us wise…very wise.
What’s in your tool kit?
Thanks Patsy. I need to meditate on those today. Sometimes I forget to pull those out of my “toolbox” and use them daily, or is it add them to it. Anyway, much appreciated. Thanks again.
Patsy – I so love this list. Dale and I celebrate our 30 year anniversary on Monday and I would say these four have brought us where we are and will get us where God has us going. I agree that forgiveness wraps everything. After all – isn’t that where is all begins?
Love to you Patsy – thanks of bringing joy and truth into our lives!
Thanks Patsy! Great reminder! I would not dare to build my house [wearing all my different “hard hats”] in any other way. Thank God for His construction tools! Love and blessings to you.
“Faith, love, humor, and forgiveness are God-given tools that help us build our homes and make us wise…very wise.” Yes, indeed.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us, Patsy. We should all not only have these tools in our boxes, but be making good use of them.
would love to keep a_ hammer so i can pull out all those (nails, thorns) from building a house, and planting flowers. need glue to glue the mouths from all harsh words. and glue around the doors and windows. deffinatley need a level to keep a level head when speaking to people, especially who dont have a level head. or u could use scissors to cut all ties, a pencil to vent to urself thn throw it away. just makes u feel better. and cord, r rope to wrap up all the lvoe, faith,humor, and forgiveness in. thats what i need daily n my tool bx. and secure my bx. with GOD’s protected hand around my life and bx.
so nobody can get in it but me. so i can use the tools i need and they won’t b gone, when i need thm.
I will be passing this toolbox along to all the women and men that I know. Thanks Patsy. You are the best!
You are wise. And I’m thankful for you!
I actually do have a pink hammer and a pink level. 🙂 Love this post – thank you Patsy.
Hi Patsy. Here is a photo of my toolbox http://windandhoney.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-studio-in-box.html With these tools I hope to color my world with the abundant shades of God’s grace and mercy.
A wrench. Or a crowbar. Either works. I have to pry things out of my tightly clasped little paws sometimes. Things that can grow and breathe — or die, depending on what’s appropriate– if I just let them go.
I was wanting to hear God uses cracked pots,that was soooooo funny!You said and I’m the visual aid-ha ha haI can’t find it anywhere and there is alot of you on youtube,couldn’t you please upload it,it is so funny,so many would get such joy out of it,if I could find the casette I would share it with everyone I could!I just can’t find the darn thing!Take care,God Bless!Lisa
I would add committment to the other tools that you mentioned. Without it we flit from one thing to another and never really complete what God has given us to do. We have to commit to our family as we are growing up, to our spouses, when we marry and to our children that He so graciously gives us. Most of all we have to commit our lives to God and to His service.
Incidentally, I have tool box that has ever day tools in it just like your husband and sons. My dad was a carpenter among other things and I have lived with and used tools all my life. Something I do enjoy. Our three sons have grown up using tools and can do just about any job they set their minds to do.
I love this analogy Patsy. Besides my hubby….I have raised three boys who all loved tools. My goodness the grease and mess we had around our house. Thank goodness for my daughter!!! The tools you have given are so essential and the older I get the more I love humor. It helps to keep all the other tools in the right order for me. If I can laugh at myself, I can love, forgive and draw closer in faith to Christ. Great tools all! What a blessing to read this and meditate on it today. Thank you too for your wonderful mention of my friend Pat Hunter’s blog (Pollywog Creek). She does have amazing pictures and she was so blessed! So was I!!!! You rock!
Thanks Auntie Patsy, I sure needed this right now. You are such an inspiration. God Bless you and the Family