GIVE THANKS

I've been out in the garage the past two days preparing for Thanksgiving. No, ladies, NOT cooking. My Guy-Prep for Thanksgiving requires me to repair our creaky dining room chairs. These chairs are like our nations aging B-52 fleet, older than the people who sit in them. So, each year I re-glue and re-screw the wobbly joints. Sometimes I have to cannibalize a particularly shaky chair in order to repair others. Our original compliment of ten chair is down to a sad five count. When company comes we have to supplement with odd chairs from the kitchen table.

That said, this is a task I look forward to. There is something about working with wood that brings me satisfaction. Cars? ugh. Computers? Ahh! Yard work? no thanks. But wood? I can do that. Sometimes I think about the fact that Jesus trained and worked as a carpenter. I can identify with the challenges he faced (like, for instance, Who borrowed my tools?)

I am thankful that I still have the time and the desire to repair these chairs. I have no romantic illusions. I know that if I were in a higher tax bracket I would simply buy a new dining room set. But as it is, I have to repair these chairs periodically. I'm glad I can still enjoy it.