I am an idea guy by nature. I can see what something could become long before I understand what it will take to get it there.
Execution has always required a little more effort. Over the years, I have learned to compensate just enough to keep my head above water and my projects moving.
This is especially true with home projects. I tell myself I am smart enough to figure things out. My hands, however, don’t always agree with the brain doing the thinking.
Something that should take an hour can consume an entire Saturday. A weekend project can become a familiar part of the scenery while I reconsider my approach.
My friend Kevin used to work for me when I owned a small burger restaurant. Occasionally, I would take on a repair myself. A drain pipe needed fixing, and I was a reasonably intelligent man with access to tools. What else could possibly be required?
Fine workmanship, apparently.
Kevin would look at my work. Then he would look at me.
“I’m going to start calling you Bob Vila.”
There are compliments you have to think about for a minute. This wasn’t one of them.
I still laugh about that. Kevin recognized something my enthusiasm routinely overlooked: there is a considerable distance between understanding what needs to happen and being able to make it happen well.
There is intelligence in practiced hands. There is knowledge in knowing how much pressure to apply, where to make the cut, and when to leave something alone. I tend to admire the finished work while underestimating everything a person had to learn to produce it.
Paul wrote, “And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’” (1 Corinthians 12:21, NKJV).
God gave us different gifts, and I think part of appreciating those gifts is admitting where our own abilities run out. I can have the vision. I can learn and keep trying. I can also call someone whose hands know what mine are still figuring out.
I will probably always be an idea guy. I like looking at something unfinished and imagining what it could become. I am learning to give more respect to the people who know how to bring it to life.
Somewhere in that space, Kevin is looking at a drain pipe.
If this made you think of someone whose skill you admire, share it with them. Better yet, tell them.
First Light
www.firstlightblog.org
A daily reflection on faith, leadership, and life. One honest thought each morning to help you start grounded, focused, and full of grace before the world even wakes up.
By Nathan Clark
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