What Would Glen Do? (WWGD)

What would Jesus do? I don't know.

I know what Glenn would do.

He's been doing fine carpentry on Kiawah Island for 30 years. If you own a house on Kiawah, it's not your only house. People out there are so butt-loaded with money, they sometimes buy TWO beachfront homes, bulldoze them both to build ONE megamillion dollar Goliath. Glenn's the one that builds the interior.

He knows what's up.

A house on Kiawah? You're filthy rich.

Here in the middle-class hood, our door frame was rotting. Not uncommon in South Cackalacky, especially on the shady side of the house. I can fix that. It won't be pretty, but I can get it to work. The door will shut when I'm done. There might be a gap, though. There probably will be a gap. But it'll shut. It'll lock.

I've seen  him work, he's like a superhero. Tools always return to their place while I drop them like two-year-old. If the cut is an 1/8" off, he'll walk out to the garage to square it off. I'll just pound it in. After hours of flashing, shimming, and shooting nails, we wrestled the door frame in place and hung the doors. We had a 1/2" gap at the bottom. Glenn took one look and shook his head.

"Take it down."

Take it down? Are you freaking kidding me? We just spent hours putting this thing up and now you want to... take it down? TAKE IT DOWN? Can't we just... attach a door sweep? Or something?

We took it down.

Much of the time, I watched him work. How he pays meticulous attention to detail. How even the simplest act of putting his tools in their proper place is done with care. Sanding down the most insignificant scuff. Squaring off the tiniest corner. Even when no one would notice, he did these things.

I avoid inconvenience. It's not even rational. I don't put the screwdriver away. I don't organize the workspace. I don't know why, or what my hurry is. Or where I'm going when I'm finished. But these details matter. It's paying attention when no one is looking. When no one will ever see.

It's the daily grind. The practice of being human.

Every moment of our life deserves complete devotion. It's fixing the gap at the bottom of the door. No matter how many times it has to come down.

Would Jesus fix the gap? I suppose. I know one thing. Glenn would.