Faith on the Factory Floor

Office workers often have the luxury of decorating their cubicles with family photos, industry awards, or sentimental knick-knacks. It’s different in a factory setting. Due to safety considerations, there is very little room to personalize one’s workspace. Yet, if you tour the factory floor at Woodmont Cabinetry, and you look very, very closely, you’ll discover a few meaningful items strategically placed in nooks and crannies where they won’t interfere with daily operations.

For example, Superman’s shield hangs next to a computer monitor. A child’s drawing of the Madonna and Child hangs behind a sander light. Pictures of Jesus adorn various workplace stations. But the most striking object of all sits atop an unassuming work shelf that holds a hand sander, masking tape, a cowboy hat, and several cans of Finish Repair. There’s a great story as to how it got there:

At Woodmont Cabinetry, quality inspection is one of the last stages of the production process. At this time, the final product is scrutinized for any imperfections. Blemishes, stains, scrapes or unsightly knots are all accounted for and rectified. One day, during inspections, an employee found a remarkable knot in a cabinet drawer: Jesus on the cross.

With a dark brown outer rim and a contrasting, pale yellow center, the knot bore an uncanny resemblance to the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior. You don’t have to squint to see the image, and you don’t have to have much imagination. The likeness is striking. Beneath the knot, an employee wrote: “AQUI ESTOY CON USTEDES.” A quote from the book of Matthew, in English it means: “I am here with you.”

The image and quote are a fitting reminder of Woodmont’s faith-based approach to business. At Woodmont Cabinetry, we strive to follow Christ’s example in thought, word, and deed. How perfect that God reveals His presence through our imperfections. And, that Jesus, who was himself a carpenter, appears in a piece of our finished cabinetry.

Throughout the world, there are many examples of the image of Jesus appearing in unexpected places: a landslide in Columbia, a rusty drainpipe in England, a steam iron in Massachusetts, a three cheese pizza in Australia, even in the feathers of a hen in Ireland. And now, Woodmont Cabinetry’s factory in Dallas, TX is added to the list.