I visited my uncle who is a meticulous woodworker. He has built an impressive number of projects and his craftsmanship is amazing. He has built pretty much anything that can be made of wood and many items have been given away to churches, for fundraisers, and to family. What he does with woodgrain, seams, and his creative ideas are remarkable.

My dad’s (and his father’s) idea of woodworking and other projects is “looks like hell but will last forever” (actually my grandfather would have left the hell thing out). Endurance, utility, and time on task outweigh the artisanship.

Here is the list of things I do exceptionally well?

Moving on, here is the list of things that I’m still working on:

• Judging others – one would think that with the length of my first list, I’d be less judgmental.
• Discipline – I’m really good at devotions, reading, better eating, exercise for periods of time. Not the consistent discipline.
• Parenting – thought it would be over when then kids turned 18 or left the house. Worry about and interest in their lives didn’t end when they moved out.
• There are more, trust me.

Now I’m not trolling for compliments and I don’t have such low self-esteem that I don’t think I do anything well – they are just not elite gifts.

I’ve worked at a couple universities and, while this doesn’t fit most of the professors, I’ve worked with people with incredible content knowledge. They know the inside and out of their discipline, but couldn’t change a flat tire or tell you if there were hungry people in their community.

Now if I’m having open heart surgery, I pretty much want the doctor who knows my heart inside and out. I want the surgeon that is only doing heart surgeries – not gall bladder, remove a bunion, and then my heart surgery. If someone is developing a new technology for the airplane I’m flying on, I don’t want them to work on it part time. I don’t want it cobbled together or to look like hell, no matter how long it lasts.

I’m guessing we need both – the select and the rest of us that are decent at many things, master of none. We try, endure, and work on our imperfect lives, and change the tires of wayward professors.