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Jesus is what really matters

Tales from the front pew

I picked up a fascinating magazine the other day. Published by the folks at Better Homes & Gardens, it was titled, simply, WOOD. I knew immediately that this was a good wood publication because in small writing underneath the name were the words, “The World’s Leading Woodworking Resource — A million Beavers Can’t Be Wrong.” OK, I made up the part about the beavers, but the rest is completely true.

I refer to it as fascinating because I was downright fascinated to learn that people actually exist who would choose to read an entire magazine about wood. Apparently, there’s a lot more about wood than meets the eye.

The wood-related products alone could dazzle the senses.

I saw advertisements for routers, moisture meters, files, rasps, riffles, spring clamps (as opposed to fall ones?), sanders, bandsaws … and a partridge in a pear tree.

There was even a stay-awake energy drink to keep lumberjacks from sawing wood while sawing wood. Well, maybe not that last one.

My brief foray into the wide, wacky world of wood reminded me of other things that hold zero interest to me, but greatly appeal to others.

Take automotive stuff, for example.

One of my brothers-in-law owns and operates a garage. He makes a good living and I’m sure is very talented at what he does. There’s just one problem; he has no other interests. This guy eats, sleeps and breathes gasoline and motor oil — which I’m thinking can’t be good for his digestive system.

Jeremy spends every holiday dinner sitting at the table and regaling the entire family with fascinating (there’s that word again) facts about the pros and cons of four-wheel drive and the inventor of the first rear windshield wiper. Fortunately, there’s usually at least one other automotive enthusiast hanging on his every word, freeing the rest of us to talk about more interesting subjects like how long fruitcake actually remains in the body.

His Facebook postings, not surprisingly, reflect this single-mindedness. A typical post shows some sort of engine or motor — or are those the same thing? — with the words, “Just tricked out this chassis with dual-charged hybrid striated rod and piston macro chrome mag and shock-resistant fusion pads.”

I have a confession to make. Every once-in-a-while, I get the irrepressible urge to mess with people on Facebook. I don’t do it often, and I’m not proud of it, but it happens.

Because of this, after reading one of my brother-in-law’s endlessly boring and incredibly myopic posts, I decided to respond in kind, with something equally nonsensical, so I typed “Oogum.” That’s all. Just one word, “Oogum.”

I never did get a response from my bro-in-law, but a few days later my older sister, Debi, Jeremy’s mother-in-law, texted me. “Kimmy — she calls me that because it really bugs me — what on earth does ‘Oogum’ mean?”

That took a little explaining, but in the end, she was amused. I suspect Debi finds his obsession a bit tedious, as well.

We tend to be single-minded about what really matters. That’s why it’s so important for Christians to share Jesus’ love with those around us.

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