A few years ago, my wife decided to get back to her quilting studio in the basement and resume work on one of her UFOs (UnFinished Objects). But before she could begin, she needed some backing fabric, so she asked me to go to the fabric store to buy it.

Now, I admire greatly the creativity she brings to the making of quilts. And choosing just the right fabrics and colors is essential to ensure a beautiful finished product. The fabric store is my wife’s domain, so to speak. She knows where to look, she understands colors and patterns and fabric quality, she knows just how much to buy. But on this particular day, she sent me into her domain to purchase the crucial piece of cloth that would allow her to finish her project.

I started getting nervous even out in the parking lot of Jo-Ann Fabrics. Once in the store, I kept looking over my shoulder, fearing that people in the store would sense my ineptitude in the same way dogs are known to sense fear. However, I did manage to locate and purchase the right fabric in the correct quantity. The experience was harrowing and I needed to regain my sense of worth, so I went to Menards, the local building supply and hardware store.

Ahhh, now I was in familiar territory; here, I knew my way around. I love the smell of new lumber. I can picture in my mind what I could make out of those boards. The fastener aisles are a delight, screws and nails galore; galvanized, coated, coarse and fine threads, indoor and outdoor types. And tools!

When, in retirement, I worked as a handyman/remodeler with my friend Art, I spent half the money I earned on tools. Art would say, “This job would sure be easier if we had an air compressor and nail gun”. Boom! The next day I bought them at Home Depot.

Art had a stepladder he’d bring on the job. I called it the L.O.D.; the Ladder Of Death. It was so old and rickety that I was afraid to climb it. Once, I was up on that thing, nailing some rafters and it started to wobble. I reached out and grabbed a rafter to hang on to just as the L.O.D. crashed to the floor. Next day, I added a new, heavy-duty, adjustable “Gorilla” ladder to our tool inventory. And so it went; do a job, identify the need for a new or different tool, and off I’d go to buy it. Even though we stopped doing these jobs a couple of years ago, from time to time Art still comes by to borrow a tool.

For a lot of men, the local Menards, or Home Depot or Lowes is a place we feel we belong. The building materials and tools and plumbing & electrical supplies are there for us to build or fix anything. It’s what we were meant for. Some, like my buddy Art, are very skilled, able to visualize, design and build finished basements or custom shelving. Others have to read the instructions to replace a faucet or a light switch. But we all have that same drive; to build and to fix stuff.

God made us that way, In Genesis, God gave us our role, to work and to keep. It’s part of our DNA. And of course it’s not just about hammers and nails, rather, it’s about creating and maintaining. God is glorified in every creative act; whether it’s a beautiful handmade quilt, a finished basement rec room or a shiny new faucet that works.

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

Genesis 2:15 (ESV)