FINER THAN A FIXER:

Gwen Diaz

Our family room furniture had definitely seen better days. The large sectional and its matching recliner had been bounced, sat, slept, and spilled on by more teenagers than you can pack into a movie theater on a Friday night.

Somehow during the progress of one of our sleepovers, the recliner was broken. It became permanently stuck in the recumbent position, making if very difficult to get into – and even more difficult to get back out of. Talk about “laid back!” All anyone could do in such a position was enjoy a great view of their feet.

After checking out the interior rigging apparatus, we discovered that the board that was supposed to support the reclining mechanism had snapped in two. It appeared totally unsalvageable. The chair was doomed for the dumpster, so I had the kids carry it out to the curb.

My husband, however, had second thoughts. First of all, he realized that we didn't have the money to replace the recliner. Plus, after hours of watching “fix-it” shows on TV (when there were no football games available), he figured this was a job he could handle.

Now mind you, my hubby has never fixed a faucet or salvaged a socket in his life – let alone done any carpentry repairs!

Anyway, the recliner was rescued from the curb, and several trips were made to the hardware store. After many hours, much sweat, and a little blood later, the chair sat in a wonderful upright position. It was fixed . . . until one of our sons plopped down on it.

I have to be truthful here. The recliner was actually in a little better shape than it had been prior to Ed's attempt, because now the reclinee could at least see the TV over the tops of their shoes. But Ed was discouraged. He truly felt that he should have been able to fix it. It was a blow to his male ego that the “stupid thing” didn't work like it was supposed to. “No doubt Chip Gaines or Ben Napier would have fixed it in five minutes in their woodworking shops,” he reasoned. “As a matter of fact, Chip Gaines could have fixed it so well it would have launched its occupants into the neighbor's yard when it was time to sit up!”

“Hey, Ed,” I tried to console him before he entered a deep depression over his fixing failure. “Have Chip Gaines or Ben Napier ever taught a high school baseball player how to grip a curve ball? I don't think so! Could either of them stand in front of a crowded auditorium and answer every question thrown at them about God and life?  No way! You're good at stuff – just not this stuff!”

He didn't reply, but he did kind of smile.

God has gifted us each in different ways. Some fix things while others throw baseballs; some sell stocks while others teach school; some make beautiful music while others write blogs. We need to enjoy the gifts God has given us (and our husbands) and celebrate the talents He has chosen for others. What a boring place this world would be if we were all able to do everything equally well!

1 Corinthians 12:17-81: “If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.”

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