“Handy as a Shirt Pocket”
One of my early posts shortly after I began Daily Encouragement was about the little folded piece of paper that Ray keeps in his pocket. When Ray gets dressed for the day, he always puts on a shirt with a pocket and he always slips his pen and little folded piece of paper inside it. It’s always ready for any note he needs to write down. Often he is my willing secretary and adds a note for me, and sometimes he offers it to me to write my own. It’s very handy.
I recently heard a new expression. When complimenting someone’s fabric wall covering, she said, “Wow, and being handy as a shirt pocket, I’m guessing you hung it yourself!” What a sweet compliment and adorable expression. Having enjoyed Ray’s handy shirt pocket for all these years, the expression is clear as a bell to me.
My life experiences often remind me of things that parents need to be sure they teach their children. I’m convinced that one homeschooling goal should be rearing children who are as handy as a shirt pocket.
- Handy people can sometimes use their skills to build a career.
- Handy people can save money by being able to do some tasks themselves rather than paying for others to do them.
- Handy people can use their skills to serve others.
- Handy people can teach their skills to others.
Being handy as a shirt pocket reminds me of a verse from Proverbs:
Do you see a person skilled in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure people.
Proverbs 22:29