Someone asked me what was the best tool I had in my shop. It was an interesting question because there are so many choices. I love my lathe. The table saw is wonderful. The list of possible choices is long. Each has merit that makes it worthy of consideration.
As a runner up, the lithium pocket drill is amazing. I can use it almost anywhere. The charge is long lasting. It also has a surprising torque punch for its size. As good as it is, it comes in second.
The best tools I have in my shop are the guides on every tool that allow me to cut where and how I need. The miter saw has guides that help me cut precisely. The router table has guides that allow me to shape edges the way I imagine. The table saw’s guides make straight edges possible. Without these guides, life would be less safe. Candidly, nothing would be possible.
There is something magical about the guides. They are always present. While they contribute to one’s success, they do not in themselves control the outcome. They support. They also facilitate. While they are doing that, I still have the freedom to make a mess.
Even as these tools get my “best” award, I realize that there are others in my life that fit in as guides. They are there are help, not control. They have a voice, resolute and sure. At times it seems that I am being pushed along a path. When I feel most constrained I realize they are merely following the direction I have chosen. It was my freedom that took me into this space.
If we allow, God is willing to be a guide in your life and mine. We choose. We decide how much of a role that Divinity will play. The offer is open to all; “God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 1.8) What follows is the natural outcome of how we exercise our freedom.
