I have just had a blast after a morning interaction with my fundis: a carpenter and a mason, each an excellent specimen of what the Bible calls
“a man skilled/diligent in his work.” (Proverbs 22:29)
The carpenter, Patrick, was arranging some wood we need to keep for seasoning, per my instructions. He spent an entire morning working on a raised rack, so that, he told me
“The positioning is properly aligned with the workbench, for convenience and efficiency.”
Neat, I thought. The nice finishing touch, more than I’d asked for, characteristic of all jobs he’s ever done for me! Walking over to another project, a small construction job I’d given to Paul, a Mason, I found him with only two helpers, a sharp contrast in numbers to the army he’d been commanding for a week.
“Trouble finding workers?”
I wondered aloud. It’s a commonly reported challenge in my county, Kirinyaga, one of the few in Kenya where the availability of manual work (picking coffee, plucking tea, growing tomatoes, working in rice paddies) nearly always outstrips the availability of labor.“No,” Paul explained.
“Finishing well is tricky. Careful attention is needed; only a few have the skill.”
Indeed I thought. Says the Bible:
“Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.” (Proverbs 22:29)
It’s the same in life. Finishing well is rare. Staying power, it’s called. It’s hard to find when it comes to saving for the future, or diligence among employees, or trustworthiness in couples. Motivation wanes. Effort slackens. Hope fades! Happily, finishing well is possible. In a world full of shoddy fundis you can still find a Patrick and a Paul. As for life, how glad I am that it’s not dependent on unreliable human capacity (Jeremiah 17:5ff)! The Lord promises an unmatchable level of assurance in the quality of the finishing in our lives if we live it in His will; for His purposes. So the Apostle Paul told the brethren at Philippi:
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)
Haron Wachira 