The Tool Box

The crawl space of a house is not a very comfortable place to be in. Recently I was looking through some of the things we have stored in the crawl space. The word "stored" is perhaps too gentle, for it denotes an item or items of some value, which you are proteting, to be retrieved at some future date. Many of the items in our crawl space are simply stuffed or thrown in with a "good ridance" shove.

Recently I was inspecting the contents of various boxes in the crawl space when I sneezed and bumped my head on the floor joist. Cobwebs were draped over my face -- which was probably the reason for the sneezen. Then I spotted it, the old tool box. I had forgotten that I had put it there. I remember making it about 40 years ago. It was a simple rectangular box made of plywood. The box was made to carry a few basic carpenter tools such as a saw, a square, a hammer and a level and a few other FUT's (frequently used tools). It measured 2 feet long and about 8 inches deep and wide, carried by a 1 inch dowelling from end to end. I used that tool box at carpenter jobs I picked up from time to time. The extra income was needed to augmented our salary, which we received from pastoral ministry in small churches. Somehow I felt that carrying a tool box gave labor a little dignity.

Now I discovered the box in a very undignified place. I had to decide what to do with it. I don't need it anymore. Nobody else will want it because there are tool boxes, which are much better than this one. I could burn it. But I am far too sentimental to throw away something that has significance because of its link to the past. Some would call it collecting junk. I call it restoring usefulness. I'm cleaning the old tool box to be painted and it will become a flower box.

LESSON
Like the old tool box when I am not needed for what I used to do, I can still be what I should be...a container exuding beauty and fragrance.