Monday, October 16, 2006
People are a lot like boards. Some of us are stiff, some are flexible, some are hard, some soft, some are warped, others are straight. Some get all painted up while others go for the natural look. Some of us smell better than others, while the others endeavor to conceal the fact with unnatural applications that merely exacerbate the situation.There are also the fat and thin among us, the tall and short. There is the 1x4, 2x4, 2x6, 4x4, 4x6, and railroad tie in any number of various lengths. We're all original with our own unique size, pattern, and shade of color.
We all have our own character. Some of us are rough hewn and give splinters to anyone who touches us. Others are polished silky smoothe. Some of us are good on the outside and rotten on the inside, some are the other way around. We all have layers. Some of us peal and split easier than others, but we all have knots and hard spots, quirks and idiosynchrosies in character. All of us hate to be rubbed the wrong way...sanded against the grain. When it does happen, it leaves us with deep scars and puts chips in our shoulders. Some of us are more durable and longer lasting, but tough to work with. Others are more fragile, but more pliable.
Boards often find themselves going together, trying to make something. Sometimes naturally, sometimes not. Boards get glued together, nailed together, and a great many more get screwed together. The result is often dubbed "just another chip off the old block." About this time the boards often break apart, splintering themsleves to pieces in the process and brandishing bent nails at the rest of the world, taring everything up.
A great many things have been created with pieces of wood: kingdoms, palaces, bridges, boats, entire navies, households, furniture, statues, stacks of firewood, splintered scrap heaps, and piles of sawdust. None of them last forever, but some are clearly of superior quality and beauty. So while many boards rot together, others will last long... if they don't get burned.
Pretty much what it comes down to is all of us need the Master Carpenter if we ever want to be made functional. If we want to be united in a way that is both lasting and beautiful. There's going to be a whole lot of sawing and sanding. We will feel the rasp and the beltsander. It won't always be fun or comfortable. Sometimes it will downright suck. But it will be worth it. ¶ 12:06 AM
We all have our own character. Some of us are rough hewn and give splinters to anyone who touches us. Others are polished silky smoothe. Some of us are good on the outside and rotten on the inside, some are the other way around. We all have layers. Some of us peal and split easier than others, but we all have knots and hard spots, quirks and idiosynchrosies in character. All of us hate to be rubbed the wrong way...sanded against the grain. When it does happen, it leaves us with deep scars and puts chips in our shoulders. Some of us are more durable and longer lasting, but tough to work with. Others are more fragile, but more pliable.
Boards often find themselves going together, trying to make something. Sometimes naturally, sometimes not. Boards get glued together, nailed together, and a great many more get screwed together. The result is often dubbed "just another chip off the old block." About this time the boards often break apart, splintering themsleves to pieces in the process and brandishing bent nails at the rest of the world, taring everything up.
A great many things have been created with pieces of wood: kingdoms, palaces, bridges, boats, entire navies, households, furniture, statues, stacks of firewood, splintered scrap heaps, and piles of sawdust. None of them last forever, but some are clearly of superior quality and beauty. So while many boards rot together, others will last long... if they don't get burned.
Pretty much what it comes down to is all of us need the Master Carpenter if we ever want to be made functional. If we want to be united in a way that is both lasting and beautiful. There's going to be a whole lot of sawing and sanding. We will feel the rasp and the beltsander. It won't always be fun or comfortable. Sometimes it will downright suck. But it will be worth it. ¶ 12:06 AM
