Thomas The Tin Art Teacher

 Since October 2021,

I have taken seven Tin Art Classes from Thomas the Tin Art Teacher.

Heidi the Librarian has taken eight.

Since November 2022,

I have invested in the basic tools of the trade

And I have reworked one of the upstairs bedrooms at my house to make a tin art studio.

As one of my friends said the other day,

“You’ve stuck with this hobby longer than usual.”

And I have.

I suppose you could say that I’m serious about the craft.

And I suppose you could say that Heidi is, too.

 

Thankfully,

Thomas has taken Heidi and me under his wing.

Yes, he coaches us during class,

But yesterday he took his coaching many steps further:

He invited us to his tin art studio

And showed us tools and techniques beyond the beginner level.

He had an agenda that he wanted to cover,

But he answered all our questions.

He showed us his in-stock art,

But he remained humble at our praise.

We learned how to sharpen our tin snips and

That there are, indeed, tin punches that will punch a perfect circle.

We learned how to make earrings and bracelets and

That we wouldn’t be making either without a lot of new tools!

 

When we left Thomas’s studio,

We had a bunch of new knowledge,

But we also had new tins and some tools that he had extras of.

We had a wonderful time.

And I was so extremely grateful.

 

Thomas would never say this much,

But he is an expert in his field—

And his field is small.

There are not a lot of tin art collage artists,

So Thomas could keep his knowledge to himself

And presumably monopolize the market.

But that’s not Thomas.

Thomas is thrilled to share his expertise and to pass along his craft.

We’re just thankful to be the recipients.

 

Friends: We have a choice as to whether we hoard our gifts or whether we share them.

We have a choice as to whether we protect our time or whether we give it.

As the Ecclesiast says, there is a time for everything.

But may we lean more toward the sharing and giving

(When it’s healthy)

And may we celebrate life’s joys in cooperation more than thinking ill of others in competition,

 

Oh God: Thank you for the Thomas’s in our lives who desire to build-up rather than tear-down and who give of themselves for the betterment of others. Amen.