Daydream Designs by Diane: tool-themed digi stamps

As a young girl I anticipated the arrival of my father at the end of his work day. My daddy worked hard as a carpenter...I witnessed that hard work because he would sometimes take me with him to a job. He built homes and I was fascinated by the process. In those days it only required two or three skilled craftsmen to construct a home, and my dad was one of the best in the trade. He was well respected among his peers.

My dad could drive a 4" nail with only two or three strikes...one to set the nail and one or two more to drive it home. He could saw straighter, carry more, and work faster than the rest of the crew. Everyone looked up to my dad. But he stood taller to me than in the eyes of anyone else. I admired my father, and loved him deeply. I thought I couldn't be more proud of him. But when he surrendered to preach the Gospel at 38, he made my heart swell with joy. He preached like he carpentered...gave it his all and infused quality in everything he did in the ministry. I loved the fact that he was a carpenter and then a preacher...following in the steps of the Lord he loved so much.

Since this is the first year since he passed that I could even think about designing Father's Day or masculine sets, I knew I had to design one dedicated to my father. I actually had a blast doing these. Each tool was a trip down memory lane and the memories brought joy rather than pain. Grieving is a process that takes time.

Designing the saw made me remember the powdery flakes of sawdust that would stick to his muscular arms. I loved to greet him after work and brush them off. I still love the smell of fresh sawdust.

My dad, William, used the wooden fold-up ruler most of the time, and kept it in a certain pocket in his carpenter overalls. But he also had a fun pull-out tape measure that I loved to play with...I loved pulling it out and letting it snap back in with a push of the button.

His measurements were exact and his eye was keen, so he could tell at a glance if a structure was minutely off plumb. I wonder what amount of joy he might experience in heaven surveying all the mansions and examining their perfect lines. I'm sure he has an appreciation and stands in awe at the Master Carpenter's glorious constructions in heaven.

One of the things that made my dad so handy to have around was that he carried his tools with him...even long after he left carpentering for the ministry. He just knew how to fix everything, whatever it was in life, because he always had the right tool at the right time. This sentiment personifies my dad! I always hoped I would inherit his wooden tool box. I didn't...in fact, we don't really know what happened to it. But I brought the memory to life with the wooden version in the Tool Time set.

What made my daddy stand head and shoulders above other men I've known was his amazing passion for Jesus and the gift of his salvation. Regardless of passing decades my dad's awe over what his salvation meant never waned. He never stopped thanking Jesus for being his Savior. Sometimes he'd been sitting in a chair, or driving along in the car and he'd exclaim with great fervor, "Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, sweet Jesus!" I think he's still saying it at the feet of his precious Lord. I will enjoy it even more when I see him doing that in heaven!

I think back to my dad driving those long nails into the wood; I can still hear it in my mind...tap, tap, slam...done! He always hit the nail right on the head. He did that in his preaching too. He always hit the Gospel straight on. He never bent it to fit the itching ears of any skeptics. He preached straight and true and strong. He was a success in life, because he gave all the glory to God. What was in his heart was a treasure that made him rich. And he passed on the legacy of that gift to all of us who must stay behind for yet awhile. I think we love Jesus a little more, certainly for what He did for each of us, but because of who He made my father to be before all of us.

It's a simple joy to present this humble little ensemble of sets to crafter's out there in honor of my dad...the carpenter...and the preacher. I love you, Daddy, and I can't wait to see you again.