Lessons from a Shed 19

Lesson19: Look for Ways to Improve

My shed has taught me a lot of things. Since starting this project I've learned how to use some of my power tools that had been collector items. I've learned some new carpentry skills. I've learned new vocabulary. And I've learned some things about myself, particularly that I am capable of building something without ending up in the hospital. But there is always room for improvement. My wife wants me to put in a window and make a window box for flowers. I'm thinking of making some kind of decorative piece for the gable over the door. And I've yet to build permanent shelving inside.

As Christians we are constantly growing in our faith. We are growing in Christ-likeness. It is God's plan that we become more and more like Jesus as we progress. The Bible says that we are God's temple. A temple is a whole lot more elaborate than a shed. God lives in you, if you are a Christian. But you are not yet perfect. There is always room for improvement. And God is not finished with you yet. God works with us to make these daily improvements. It is our responsibility to work with Him.

2 Peter 1:5-7

...make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

Lessons from a Shed 18

Lessson18: Learn from Your Mistakes

As much as I like my shed, it is not perfect. I made a few mistakes along the way. And some are obvious in the pictures, as some of you have no doubt observed. The first, and perhaps biggest mistake, was to try to save building material by putting the side sheeting on horizontally instead of vertically. This created a seam that is not on any framing. Consequently, this can allow water to get in when the rain is accompanied by a strong wind. I will have to fix this with sealant. The other obvious mistake was to make my door too low. I keep hitting my head when coming out. I'm not so sure this can be fixed. But I have learned from these mistakes...so my next shed will be even better!

The lesson in life is as obvious as the mistakes in my shed. We do not live perfect lives. We make mistakes. We sometimes sin. We sometimes do and say things that are wrong. But that does mean that our lives are thereby ruined. We can learn from those mistakes and those wrong choices. Some things we can fix. Some things we can't. But we can determine to build a better tomorrow than a yesterday. We can decide not to repeat that sin, but to repent of it and to get on with our lives as God directs.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Lessons from a Shed 17

Lesson 17: Get Organized

My shed was now complete. It was time to put it to use. The next stage was to organize the inside. I had plans for shelving, but winter was coming on and I had to get my lawn mower, pick, shovels, rakes, outboard motor, and gas cans out of my garage to make room for my van. I also had to store my patio furniture. I confess there was not time to build shelves. Everything went into the shed in a jumble. I put the padlock on, and there it all stayed safe, secure, and unorganized until spring.

I sometimes find that my Christian life is a little like that. A jumble of activities. I get in pretty much everything that should be in, but it is sometimes not very organized. There is worship at church, and private devotions, prayer, Bible reading, volunteer work, visiting the sick, and donating to charity. The challenge for me is to get my life organized, to create a balance and a routine. And there is the danger of trying to cram too much into our lives as well. Let us remember to take one day at a time, to plan carefully, and to let God direct our living.

Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

Lessons from a Shed 16

Lesson16: Don't Forget the Trim

 

By this time in my construction project, my shed is fully functional. It has a solid foundation and floor, sturdy sides, and a strong roof. The shingles are laid, the paint is on, and the doors are hung. However, there is still one thing needed, that is the trim. The trim is that decorative board that runs along the edges of the walls. It does not add much to the functionality of the shed, other than cover up a seam or two that otherwise would have a small gap. The trim sets the shed apart, makes it look its best. The trim takes away the plainness of the shed and makes it look more attractive. After all, it is something my wife and I have to look at every day.

It is also important for Christians to look good. This is true first of all in the spiritual and moral sense. Our personalities and our character have to be attractive. Our attitude has to be positive. Our words have to be encouraging. We have to show to the world the beauty of Jesus. Someone said, it is not enough to be righteous, we also have to appear righteous. What do your actions say about you? The other aspect is our physical appearance. While there is no offical dress code for Christians, in whatever culture we live there is a cultural dress code that makes a statement to people around us. How we dress, how we look, even how we smell says something about us. What does your physical appearance say about you?

1 Peter 3:3,4

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Lessons from a Shed 15

Lesson15: Making a Secure Door

A shed without a secure door is pretty much useless. It may protect from the weather some of the time, depending which way the wind is blowing. It will provide no protection at all from thieves or from prying eyes. A good, secure door is a must. The design plans for my shed called for double doors made of plywood, framed with 2x4s and hung with strong hinges. There were also some decorative elements to the doors. After the doors were put in place I installed a latch mechanism with a padlock and key.
In the Bible Jesus calls Himself "the Door" (John 10:1-18, KJV). He did not use the analogy of a shed, but that of a sheepfold. But the idea is the same. As "the Door," Jesus is the way into God's blessings. He will keep out thieves and robbers and all who intend to do harm, but He will allow in those who follow God's way for them. In the culture of the Middle East in that time in history, a shepherd would lie across the opening to the sheep pen and literally become the gate (or the "door") to the sheep pen. No thief or wild animal could hurt the sheep without encountering the shepherd. As a Christian, you are one of God's flock. Jesus is the door that will protect you.

John 10:9 (KJV)
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Lessons from a Shed 14

Lesson 14: Paint Impresses

My shed was starting to look like a shed. The floor and walls were up and the roof and shingles were in place. It was time to paint. Being the cheap guy I am, I went to the Restore, which is operated by Habitat for Humanity, and bought a gallon of paint (at half its original price) that had been donated by a construction company. Paint is more than just to make something look good. Paint protects. And I wanted to get my plywood sheeting protected from the rain as quickly as possible. Paint also covers up things you don't want noticed, things like nail heads, scratches in the wood, and knots. When people look at my shed, the first thing they notice is the paint. It is the paint that makes the first impression.

In our Christian life, people will first notice the obvious about us. They will be impressed or unimpressed by what they immediately see--how we dress, how we walk, whether or not we smile. They will also be impressed or unimpressed by what they hear from us--whether our language is offensive or encouraging. As they get to know us more they will judge us even more by the things we do--how we show our love for others, our attitude and our work habits.  These outward things are like paint on a shed--if they are good things, they will make a great first impression and cover up the minor flaws in our character.

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Lessons from a Shed 13

Lesson 13: Don't Spare the Shingles

Roof shingles serve two purposes, the main one being to protect the roof from the weather. Rain, hail, and snow can do a lot of damage. Shingles are the shield against the elements. The other purpose is to make the shed look good. I chose asphalt shingles for my shed because they are tough, economical, and look pretty good as well. If you ask at your local building supply store for bundles that are broken open you may get them at half-price (I did). The shingles are fine; it's just the plastic wrap that is broken. The shingles go on the roof in layers overlapping one another. They are fastened to the roof with roofing nails.

In every life, some rain must fall. Often some hail, and snow as well. This is true of the Christian life as it is of any life. The Bible says that God "causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45). We are not going to be exempt from bad things happening to us just because we are Christians. But we can have the assurance that these things will not ruin us. Like the shingles on a shed, God is above us protecting us from spiritual harm and guaranteeing our eternal salvation.

2 Corinthians 4:8,9
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Lessons from a Shed 12

Lesson 12: Install a Solid Roof

Like the walls of the shed, the roof is there to protect the contents of the shed from the elements. The roof trusses have to be strong. They have to stand up to wind and to hold up the weight of sheeting and shingles, along with snow if you live in Canada. They also have to be able to hold you up when you go on the roof to carry out repairs. I built the trusses in my driveway using 2x4s fastend together with plywood gussets that I made myself. After making the first truss, I used this as a pattern for the rest so that they all came out the same. In the end I think I came out with a pretty solid roof.

In our Christian life it is a great encouragement to know that God is our strong protector. He not only surrounds us on each side, but He also covers us. The Bible often refers to God as our shield and our strong tower. In one place there a reference to the helmet of salvation. God is our protection against the spiritual forces of evil, against bad thoughts and sinful temptations. When times are difficult, look up and be assured that the Almighty is your strong protection.

Psalm 91:4

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Lessons from a Shed 11

Lesson 11 Framework - Inner Strength

The strength of any man-made structure is its framework. This is true whether you are building a shed, a house, or a skyscraper. It is the framework that bears the load of the walls and roof. It is the framework that gives the building strength and ensures that the building does not fall down. The framework for my shed is simple 2x4s because it is a small building. I have 2x4s in the floor, the walls, and the roof trusses. You cannot see these until you go inside the shed. Then you can see what makes it strong.

In our Christian life, its not what people see on the outside that makes us strong. Our spiritual strength comes from what is on the inside. What is holding you together as a Christian? What gives you spiritual strength? We can appear strong to people around us, but appearance is only on the outside. Unless we are strong in our faith on the inside, unless we are spiritually secure, we will not stand up to the winds of adversity. Strive to be strong from within.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Lessons from a Shed 10

Lesson 10 - Making Walls

The whole purpose of a shed is to create an enclosure into which you put things that you want to keep safe and secure. The only way to do this is to build walls. Walls provide protect from the elements. Walls hide things from prying eyes. Walls discourage thieves. After I laid the foundation and the floor, my next step was to make and erect the walls. For this I selected straight (not warped) 2x4s from my stack of used lumber and overlaid this with 1/2 inch plywood sheeting. With the help of my crew (by now my wife, daughter, and son-in-law had all volunteered to assist) I quickly had the walls up.

In our spiritual life, we are protected by the Spirit of God. The Bible says, "the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore" (Psalm 125:2). As the walls of my shed surround the things inside, so God surrounds those who trust in Him, shielding them from the the devil's attackes and from temptations of the flesh. In Christ we are safe forevermore.

Psalm 139:5-6
You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

Lessons from a Shed - 9

Lesson 9 - Laying a Solid Floor

I had already laid the foundation of my shed. Two solid pieces of pressure treated 4 x 4's overlaid with sturdy 2x4's would hold up the shed nicely. The next job was to lay the floor. I went to the local building supply store and inspected the various 4x8 sheeting.

When the knowledgeable salesman asked what I wanted I said, "Two sheets of half-inch plywood." I was thinking of cost, and figured this would be cheaper.

"What is it for?" he asked, obviously sensing my inexperience.

"The floor of a shed I'm building," I replied.

"You'll need at least three-quarter inch plywood for a floor," he said, explaining that anything less than that would not hold any weight and would buckle.

I bowed to his superior knowledge of building material and purchased the 3/4 inch plywood for the floor.

Once you have Jesus Christ as the foundation of your life, you must choose carefully what to build on that foundation. If you try to skimp and take the cheap and easy route you may find that what you build is inadequate for the life situations that you will face later. Watching a 1/2 hour Christian TV show a week will not be adequate to build your faith. You need the 3/4 to 1.5 hour service at a real church on Sunday and then supplement this with a 1/2 private devotions every day.

1 Corinthians 3:10

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.

Lessons from a Shed - 8

Lesson 8 - Appreciate the Hidden Things

People who saw my shed for the first time told me they liked it. The men said "good job" and the women called it "cute." What they saw was the exterior, the painted, plywood walls, the white trim, the shingled roof, and the fancy door. They probably never gave any thought to all the hidden things that are holding it together. Underneath the paint, the shingles, and the trim are several hundred nails and screws silently doing their job without ever being noticed or admired. But even these had to be selected with care to ensure that the right size nails and screws matched the job they were doing.

As you build your life people may admire the big things you accomplish - your education degrees, your promotions, your inventions, or even your house or car. But its the little things that will determine your character - the kind things you do when no one else is looking, the silent prayer you make when alone, the annoymous donation you give to a homless person, the words of encouragement you speak to a young person. These hidden things are what will hold your life together.

1 Samuel 16:7
The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Lessons from a Shed - 7

Lesson 7 - Check the Bylaws

This lesson should have been number one or at least number two. When I began planning my shed I phoned the city hall to find out what the local bylaws were relating to building a shed in my backyard. Did I need a permit? What restrictions were in effect? What were the regulations I had to follow? I was told that if my shed was less than eleven feet high I did not need a permit. The one restriction was that the shed had to be at least two feet from my fence. Within those guidelines, I was free to build to my hearts desire.

There are guidelines also within which we must build our lives. We all recognize the laws of nature and accept the fact that we must live within them. The law of gravity, for example, will not permit us to build a shed in thin air. God has also created moral and spiritual laws. We must recognize these and build our lives within them. There are general moral and spiritual laws like those contained in the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. And there are specific guidlines that apply to each of us individually. As you build your life, contact the Divine Lawgiver and ask Him what the guidelines are for your life.

Psalm 119:1(NRSV)
Happy are those...who walk in the law of the Lord.

Lessons from a Shed - 6

Lesson 6 - Assemble a Team

It is rarely a good idea to work alone on a building project. Even though for my small shed project I might have managed most of the work myself, it was much more fun doing it as a family. In addition, the job was much easier when I had someone else to hold the end of a board. And things went faster when several people were working on different aspects of the project at one time. And then there was the safety aspect; if I had injured myself while working alone I could have been in big trouble. Besides all that there is the fact that everyone got to bask in the glory of the finished project. It didn't become a one-man job, but a team effort.

The same is true in Christian life. Service for Christ was never meant to be done alone. Even though sometimes you might not have any alternative, if the opportunity is there for you to invite others to join you in the work, do so. As with building, Christian service is easier, faster, and more satisfying when you are able to share it with someone else. And if you become injured in the sense of becoming discouraged or insulted you have others to talk to about it. And when the work is completed, you can rejoice together because of God's grace to everyone.

Matthew 6:7
Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority....

Lessons from a Shed - 5

Lesson 5 - Count the Cost

Everything has a cost--including a backyard garden shed. You get get quite fancy and build an elaborate structure using cedar and fancy mouldings and high grade siding. Or you can build plain and simple using basic material. The choice is yours. But you will not likely build your shed for free. My shed is the basic type. In fact all the framing is used lumber from one of my previous projects, a deck on my trailer which I sold. So I saved money there. And when I bought shingles I picked the packages that were broke open and got them at 50 percent off (the shingles were fine, it was just the plastic wrapping that was broken). I got the paint from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore at a bargain price. So my shed cost about $150 to build.

In life, no matter what we do we must always consider the cost. Jesus said “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’

There is a cost to following Jesus. You will have to make sacrifices. You will have to surrender your will to God's will. You will have to deny yourself and take up your cross daily if you are going to truly be a Christ-follower. But to choose the alternative is to lose your soul. Count the cost of the decision that will determine your eternal destiny.

Matthew 16:26

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

Lessons from a Shed - 4

Lesson 4 - Select the Right Material

My shed was not going to be a Taj Mahal. Nevertheless I needed good, solid material that could stand the wind, rain, and snow of the Canadian climate. Besides the pressure treated 4" x 4" skids I selected pressure treated 2" x 4" lumber  for the joist to support the floor. For the wall studs and the roof rafters I used recycled 2" x 4" from a deck I dismantled when I sold my trailer last year. Then I bought plywood sheeting, shingles and a good supply of nails and screws to put it all together. The shed would be built with a combination of new and used material.

It is important when building our lives that we also choose the right building material. We create our lives out of such things as relationships, beliefs, knowledge, and experiences. The people we surround ourselves with make us stronger or weaker. The beliefs we embrace make us secure or insecure. The knowledge we acquire helps or blocks our progress. The experiences (including our careers and jobs) we engage in enable or hinder our potential.

As you build your life, choose your building material carefully, and remember too that some of the "old stuff" from previous generations is still useful today.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.

Lessons from a Shed - 3

Lesson 3 – Lay a good foundation

Let me state the obvious—sheds have to be built from the bottom up. Lesson three: Lay a good foundation. For my little garden shed this meant two solid pieces of pressure-treated four by four skids. The pressure treated wood is more resistant to rot, fungi, and insects than is untreated wood. Of course if you are a purist you would probably go for cedar, which does not require being chemically treated. However, that was beyond my budget. With my four by four treated skids as a foundation I was ready to go.

Life also needs a good foundation. Jesus once told a story about two men, each of whom built a house. One built on sand, and one built on rock. When a storm came, bringing wind and water, the house built on the sand fell, but the one built on the rock stood firm (Matthew 7:24-28). Jesus went on to explain that a man who builds his life on Jesus’ teaching is like a man who builds his house on solid rock. That life will stand in the storms of life. But the man who ignores Jesus’ teaching is like one who builds his house on sand—that man’s life is on shaky ground.

Matthew 7:24 (NIV)

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Lessons from a Shed - 2

Lesson 2 - Choose the best location

Every shed has to be built somewhere. You just can't build it anywhere. As with all real estate, location is of prime importance. Since the backyard of our property is small I chose one corner, the east corner, on which to build. The west corner was occupied by large, flat stones on which I planned to put our garden swing. Besides, the stones were heavy and would require a lot more work to move.
After measuring the ground and staking off the corners, I asked my wife what she thought of this plan. She looked at the location, paused, scrutinized the situation and made her decision. The shed, she said, will not work there. It will have to go in the west corner because the angle of our irregular-shapped backyard created more room there.  In her opinion, the shed would look better there, and work better as well.
So I pulled up my stakes, got out my pick and shovel and began the back-breaking, sweaty task of removing the heavy stones to build in the better location.
The same is true in life. Where we choose to build our lives in important. Most of us will live in a number of different locations in our lifetime. Where we live will influence how we live. A life lived in a city will be quite different from one lived in the county. A life lived in the Far North will be different from one lived in an African village. Choose carefully and ask God for advice.

Genesis 12:1

The Lord said to Abram: Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.

Lessons from a shed - 1

Lesson 1 - Make Plans

My "Fred Shed" is almost a year old--and its still standing! Hopefully it will stand for a good while to come. As I reflect on this modest construction project, I realize that there are many lessons to learn from such an experience, not the least of which is learning how to use some of the power tools I collected over the years, but was not able to use until this past year.
Lesson one: You have to have a plan. Before you buy lumber, purchase nails, and accumulate shingles you have to have a plan. You can't just start building not knowing what you are going to build, or where. I have a very small back yard so I had to downscale my dream shed to one about 7ft by 6ft. For such a small shed I did not want to purchase expensive plans so I went on the internet and downloaded free plans. Even then I had to change all the measurement to fit what I could build in the space available. Following the plans I made, I now have a shed that is perfect for my backyard.
The same is true in life. You have to have a plan if you are going to accomplish anything worthwhile. You can make your own plans or you can ask God, the Masterbuilder, to direct you. The choice is yours, but since you've never built a life before, I recommend getting the best advise available.
Proverbs 3:6 (NKJV)
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.