Lessons at the Wood Pile

I pray that you read the title correctly. It is a wood pile, not a wood shed. :-)

Those of us who live in places that enjoy a cold winter season know that wood can be your best friend. When temperatures drop and fuel costs rise, wood loaded into the firebox of a wood stove can make life toasty. The Farmer's Almanac says that we're supposed to have a cold, snowy winter this year. That means that wood will become an even closer friend in the coming months.

We've had three cords of wood delivered and about a half of a cord given to us. Most of it was dumped on a portion of our driveway and the rest in a spot across the street. The next order of business was to get it all properly stacked and covered before the snow flies. That takes a lot of time and physical labor. Today was the day.

Labor Day brought the opportunity with its holiday pace and cool breezes. So Curt and I worked side by side to accomplish the task. Along the way the Lord offered glimpses of His amazing providence. First, it was a wonderful opportunity to practice the working relationship the Lord has been building in us over the last 40 years. Lately I've been noticing how He's refining that gift and it was a joy to behold.

First, it was my responsibility to ask Curt how he wanted to pursue the project. It was an excellent analogy for our marriage. Since he's the head, his plan is the one I need to follow. He showed me the process he wanted to undertake and we began. It felt good to be part of an activity that was moving us forward in accomplishing a goal.

I picked up logs and did my best to figure out how they fit into the growing pile. There were big ones that set firmly and little ones that nestled into alcoves they created. It reminded me of 2 Corinthians 12 where Paul explains how God gives spiritual gifts. They're meant to fit together in his body the same way the various parts of our physical body fit together.

Curt decided it would be helpful if I built the towers that hold up the ends of the piles. He gave me the more squared-off logs to use. My favorite part of that assignment was that he trusted me to do it. Then he told me I did a good job as I finished each one. It was a glorious time of positive interaction. What a treat!

As we moved through the task it became clear to me that Curt was the better stacker. He had a way of choosing logs and fitting them together efficiently that I simply didn't. My forte seemed to be in creating open pathways for doing the job and clearing up the edges behind him. From time to time I would toss logs closer to Curt leaving the scraps at a distance. He made faster progress and I felt useful - a win, win combination.

There were a couple of times when I wasn't sure about what he was doing. It didn't seem to make sense. I chose to be quiet and wait to see how it turned out. I'm happy to say that in each case his idea turned out to be a clever one. Was I really that surprised? :-)

The project took a couple of hours or so. We became an increasingly effetive team as we communicated our feelings, desires, and goals. The wood got stacked, the driveway got cleared, and the winter fuel got stored. We stepped back to admire the finished product and I realized that the neat stacks of wood were only part of it. An afternoon spent expending our energy together and being able to see the results was almost overwhelming. I had the sense that God has orchestrated the day for just such a purpose.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28