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 - 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.