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Following morning worship one Sunday, some good lady, whose name I do not know, handed me a newspaper clipping on her way out of the front door. When I finally sat down that evening to read it, there was this little story: A man fumbled awkwardly trying to sew a button on his shirt. He had the thimble on one of the fingers of his left hand and clumsily held the needle and thread in his right. His wife happened by to observe his ambitious effort, smiled, and remarked, "The thimble is on the wrong finger." Already frustrated, the husband replied, "I know. It ought to be on yours." I admire his independence and industry, but am inclined to think that he was probably correct in implying that the one who could do the best job, was not doing it. One thing is certain. People who are busily engaged in a project, doing the best they can, ordinarily do not warm up to advice just when they are in the middle of the whole business. We moved into a parsonage once which had, let us say, long since lost its luster. Some of the good people had undertaken to do some remodeling and redecorating in their spare time. One evening, a man and his wife had come to hang new drapes in the den while several others were busily involved throughout the house seeing to other projects. In all the going and coming, one of the self-appointed patriarchs of the church, known more for his wind than for his work, had decided to bless the gathering with his presence. He swaggered in, brows up, cigar between his teeth, pulled up a chair and proceeded to orchestrate the whole affair. Numerous times, he interrupted the drape hangers, in a lordly tone, as they wrestled with the traverse rod. Finally, after politely enduring all the advice he could stand, the fellow hanging the rod calmly walked over to the patriarch, handed him the screwdriver and told him if he knew so much about it, he could do it himself, and left. The little gremlin in me wanted to applaud.

Someone wisely said, "Those who can, do; those who can't, give advice." Someone else has remarked that the person who stands around wringing his hands saying something cannot be done, is frequently interrupted by someone who is doing it. And finally, there is the old saw which goes, "People who do not play the game should not make the rules." There are some "doers" and "thinkers." I'll take the doers every time, for they are usually thinking while they are doing. A ship was once rapidly taking on water. The good chaplain wanted everybody to gather in the middle of the deck and pray that God would save them. A man rushed by the chaplain with a bucket in his hand, but paused long enough to say, "Reverend, you can kneel down here and pray if you want to, but the rest of us will pray while we are bailing water."

I have little use for the armchair Christian, who is able to do, and does nothing but chronically interrupts someone who is busy, with a lot of unsolicited advice.