For the Birds

Working with wood is always an adventure. I wasn't sure if I was up to the task when my wife Jennifer suggested I might build a couple houses as Christmas presents. The task was even more daunting in that she made the request shortly after Thanksgiving. Over the years, I've learned a few tricks and shortcuts. But building multiple houses in less than a month? Of course, I wouldn't be working alone. Jennifer said she could help with some details, like painting. Yeah, right; there's nothing to paint before the house actually gets built. As only a person who loves you can ask, Jennifer convinced me it was not only possible but we could get it done.

Years ago, I had the privilege to have a teaching partner with whom a lot of woodworking ideas and techniques were shared. I remembered a time when he made 20 miniature typewriters as a gag gift. To make one at a time would have been way too time consuming. He figured out what the profile of a typewriter would look like and with several passes on the table saw had a piece of wood long enough to simply slice off short lengths to make individual typewriters. There was the solution. Just make a house profile on a piece long enough and then cut off the houses. By now you've probably figured out that we're talking about rather small houses here. The result of our efforts were about 30 houses of tree ornament size.

Our silly little project was the culmination of efforts of many people. The memories of working with that good friend in the wood shop all those years ago were revisited and like I said earlier, when one who loves you asks you to do something and assures you they will help, it would be foolish to turn them down. We are into the season when we celebrate Someone loving us so much that He gave us the ultimate gift. Because He loves us and because He is asking us to do something we think we can't, remember He promised to be with us always and nothing is impossible for Him. So don't be foolish. Listen to what He asks and get to it.

May your Christmas be blessed and the New Year be one filled with joy.

New Man in the Shop

One aspect of Out of the Woodwork that I find pretty delightful is having someone new come to the shop and show some appreciation for the potential they see there. When I first started opening the shop that my father passed on to me to others, one of the first people showing up was a man in his eighties named Joe. His attitude was attractive right away. He said on that first visit, "I've never done any woodworking. But I figure you're never too old to learn." Although no speed records for production were broken in the process, he has completed a couple nice pieces of furniture for his home. He has seen fit to set up a small woodworking area in his garage and comes nearly every week with a question about something he is doing or looking for a new way to help with something someone else is currently building. This past week he kept his place as "favorite student" by inviting a newcomer to his neighborhood to come check out the shop.

The newcomer had recently moved into the retirement community where Joe lives and after a short introductory conversation he

made a confession. "I feel kind of funny coming here." he said. "You see I flunked wood shop." We had a good laugh about that and the fact that perhaps the readiness factor just wasn't there all those years ago when that happened. He seemed to enjoy getting familiar with the shop and visiting with the folks as they worked on various projects. When he left it was with intentions to come back with some ideas for some things he might want to attempt. I hope he was sincere in the promise to come back and it would appear the readiness factor is now in place.

I couldn't help but think about this situation in terms of how we get second chances in life to do things that we either ignored or at which we failed. I encourage the good readers of this post to consider that this business of second chances is the exact relationship God wants to have with each of us. I never failed wood shop. But I have failed to do what God wanted me to do countless times. It is His grace that allows me to do anything including writing this silly little blog. When I realize how I've let Him down and say, "Can I have another chance?" He says. "Let's assume this is the first time." and another God shaped hole in my heart is filled.