Thinking Like Wood Would

Almost all people I know who are proficient in woodworking are that way, at least in part, because they have chosen to become familiar with the material with which they work. In order to get desired results from wood, one must learn to think like a piece of wood. I know, I know. Wood doesn't think at all. What I mean by thinking like a piece of wood is the ability to know what that piece of wood will do if, for example, a chisel is driven into at a particular angle. Knowing how even inanimate objects react when acted upon enables a person to transform a tree into a piece of furniture. Being aware of the nature of the material requires some trial and error and allowing for those exceptions to the rule that are bound to occur if any amount of experience is gained. Some times wood seems to have a mind of its own.

The obvious analogy for this woodworking idea comes to mind when we change the material with which we work from wood to people. If I am to be proficient in working with people then I better learn to think like a people. I know, I know. Grammar-wise it should be, "think like a person." Here the analogy breaks down a bit because people really do think and what they think is extremely important if I wish to be helpful to them. Being helpful is required of anyone who would claim to be Christian. Being helpful is what is required when we are told to love one another. Knowing what someone is thinking before attempting to be helpful to them brings us right back to the woodworking example with one important difference. You may never have tried to make something of wood and therefore would have difficulty in thinking like wood. But thinking like a person is something with which you have plenty of experience. As we attempt to live out that great command to love one another, take time to know what those you encounter are thinking because, right or wrong, what they are thinking determines the material the Greatest Carpenter who ever lived asks us to shape.