Inspiration
We Love the outdoors, I wouldn’t call us “outdoorsy” in the sense that we are some avid hikers, pioneering through the wilderness, but we love nature. Usually we get to enjoy it from our windshield but more recently we have been able to leave our little mini bus and venture out on some trails with our kids in tow. As I, Desirae, have been a beautiful state of perpetual pregnancy for the last few years, we yearn to seek the hiking part out more, in the future.
National Park Lovers
We have been to several of the U.S. National Parks. We love their beauty, landscapes and all the signage and information, and wildlife we pass on along our way. We enjoy our drives from our Midwestern Illinois to the Western U.S. Those early morning ventures with extra large gas station coffees and the road stretching on before and behind us brings up joy, memories and excitement. We pray our kids enjoy it as well, even though they are a little sleepy and bored through the long stretches.
Why does it Matter?
What does this have to do with wood working? Well… wood comes from trees, and nature provides endless inspirtation, creativity and a desire to capture for our home, what we see outside in nature. We have this phrase we say and over and over, ” Look what God made!” There is nothing quite as exciting as that wide-eyed look of a child in grandeur and as we are Children of God we still feel that way over and again, and it’s become more and more that we notice trees. There is nothing quite as neat to us as a rustic log, be in blackened by fire, clawed into by some predator looking for a meal, or just sitting up so high, it seems as if it’s hiking the mountain side. Rough-sawn lumber inspires that awe as well, especially having the privilege to plane it or use the drum sander to reveal the diamond in the rough, of all it’s patterns and it’s God-crafted reveal and design. Tree’s are truly like a gift that keeps on giving.
Elementary Aspects of the Giving of Trees
But what is a tree giving us? Just a big block of a medium in need of an craftsman? I guess so, but if we look at the scientific aspect, it’s giving a plethora of things, and shocked as one may find themselves, in not a scientist by any stretch of the imagination. Just a purveyor of google facts and elementary level understanding (I knew watching all of those nature shows would matter at some specific point in my life). Trees create habitats for all sorts of God’s great creation, they take our carbon dioxide and give us fresh oxygen. If you have had the privilege of reading the classic child’s book The Giving Tree, trees really just give us everything from a place to sit up high, hunker in deep, fruit to eat and a place to rest, until the end of themselves.
As far as the biblical aspect, trees have been major in creation itself, we can briefly look at the Genesis account and see there were two main trees of significance in the Garden of Eden, and as the New Testament leads us to Christ, and His sacrifice and the redemption for our sins, a tree was his cross. His body lay nailed to a tree so that we could be free.
The symbolism, signficance and beauty of trees has captivated us for quite a few years. So now I guess I should get onto why wood working has changed our lives, motivated our marriage, and continually shapes our home.
Marriage and a Wood Shop
Steve’s background includes a variety of wisdom among the trades. He currently is an HVAC foreman, but he has been trained in carpentry, interior trim, electrical work, roofing and pretty much all the “handy man” arenas. With all of that knowledge and wisdom over the years, he has also been gifted by the Holy Spirit to have the patience and desire to serve others and also teach what he’s learned (even if his perfectionism for hanging something or making something annoys me, pray for me, that’s one of my many sin issues). I have always wanted to try it all, especially when it comes to creating something, because I find it interesting to learn and build on a skill set, and to find out what I may unearth about my own self. Suffice to say we are learning that Steve is a craftsman, and I am a creative.
Marriage for us, by God’s design is that kind of bond of two people becoming one. Notice that doesn’t mean we fully lose all of our ideas, identities or purposes. We just exchange old ways of individualistic priorities of self first and become motivated to fully fulfill roles in such away that bonds us into a pair that is stronger. It’s not co-dependent it’s cohesive. The pairing is kind of like an ionic bond or CA glue and accelerator.
Chemistry
Again I am not a chemist, or a science anything other than what I so lovingly teach and learn alongside our homeschooled kids and their amazing curriculum, so as you read this and if there is a glossy eyed stare or even if there is a long pause and a ” I don’t think that’s what you mean” it’s ok, where my knowledge is lacking I am a welcome student, and further more… grace abounds. That term of ionic bond came to me as I was typing out marriage thoughts, as so naturally I had to look at Britannica.com to get accurate definitions.
Ionic Bond: also called electrovalent bond, type of linkage forms from the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions in a chemical compass. Such a bond forms when the valence (outermost) electrons of one atoms are transferred permanently to another atom.”- Brittanica.com
As I was perusing google I stumbled upon covalent bonds and naturally I pondered what the difference could be. When I think of the word bond in a literary sense, or relational/emotional sense it seems like bond is kind of interchangeable but I found in the chemical realm that it’s very different:
Covalent Bonds: Covalent bond, in chemistry, the interatomic linkage that results from the sharing of an electron pair between two atoms. The binding arises from the electrostatic attraction of their nuclei for the same electrons. A covalent bond forms when the bonded atoms have a lower total energy than that of widely separated atoms.- Britannica.com
Can I sumise that an ionic bond is better than a covalent bond? Of course I had to google to see:
“Ionic bonds are stronger than covalent bonds, because there is a strong attraction between ions that have opposite charges, which is why it takes a lot of energy to separate them.”- Laurence Lavelle
*Wipes away sweat from the brow for choosing the right answer and simultaneously a tear forms because nature rings truth about what God’s very words in Mark: 9-10
“Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate”
That verse was probably one of the only specific sentences I remember the pastor speak over Steve and I as he announced us as husband and wife, and it rings like a symphonic reminder, every time I think of that specific moment.
(can anyone else hear a pastor in a place somewhere shouting, “that’ll preach!!!”… huh… pride maybe also another sin issue for me, but the whole ionic, and covalent definition in chemical relevance transferred to the unity instead of co dependency in the marriage relationship… it’s just got the hallelujah’s trying not to escape from my head nods).
See there’s something even on the chemical level that is made for and given to the other that makes them unified and bonded, and it doesn’t just stop with the married couple, it creates more where we are planted and given in to our particular times and places in our lives.
God’s design for this season in our lives
Over the past couple years, some significant events have changed, challenged and lead us by God’s grace to where we are now. We live in one of the many Chicago land suburbs but in a place we never thought we’d live, we purchased our first home, and have brought our sixth and final baby home to this place the Lord has so graciously provided, and we never intended on living in. We travel annually for like a week or so, usually somewhere west and we always seek out mountains, and fresh water, and just really sort of awe inspired views and forest bound animals. We really hoped that we would have some mountain view home with a little plot of land, like pioneers, so our children could grow up to roam and wander. But we set down any grand plans we had and await His because where he has placed us and gifted us a place to roam, minister, and host our extended families and have a larger space to create and bond more.
Our two story home ranges from cluttered with kids toy’s to semi-organized and decorated to love of places and spaces for the kids to enjoy. We are in that kind of constant state of dreaming up, transforming and renovating spaces, it’s lived in and lovely. Our garage is our lumber yard, filling up on one side with pallet wood, reclaimed lumber and plywood, even some felled tree trunks and some unfinished projects and of course the tools that are too big or heavy for the basement wood shop.
As we enter our garage and make a hard left down the stairs to the wood shop, there’s an unfinished, but dry walled, taped and mudded shop wall and door to the left and to the right there is an unfinished homeschool/play room, it’s always a humble reminder of God’s work in us, still to be done.
Recap
Recap for my squirrelly brain, we have discussed our love for travel, wood, trees, chemistry and marriage, and our little dream for the future, and also where we are planted for now…So what does this have to do with why we love woodworking. Truthfully it’s that we both love creating, hence our name here…Made to be Makers. We try and utilize Steve’s craftsmanship and my creativity to make pieces to gift or sell: cutting boards, wood plaques, canvas signs, charcuterie boards, rustic decor, t-shirts, customized mugs and even are trying our hand at furniture, just truly whatever we have the capacity to build. That’s why, by God’s grace and our crazy, we own a CNC, laser, and a pretty large and in charge Silhouette Cameo, all tools to try and create all the items we can brainstorm.
Privilege beyond deserving for sure, but also thankful we have a space to learn from one another and opportunities to watch it cascade, be built and assemble projects that project the love of woodworking and crafting pieces for others and ourselves.
The Vitality of Communication
Communication is vital in every relationship, but marriage, marriage is where it truly shows itself true. Steve in his kindness and grace has taught me a myriad of skills: how to measure and cut a variety of materials, installation of interior trim, and demoing and reinstalling a barn roof on a shed, as well as how to properly use many of the shop tools. Am I an expert? No, Not at all, although I am a lot more comfortable.
I can not explain the veracity in which I feel limited by my own ability but simultaneously urged to still make something or ask a million questions, seek a hundred different YouTube and Pinterest tutorials and want to make all the things, right now! Ask Steve as he receives little pings and messages with my “Honey can we make this List” it’s a little lengthy. As I have come to understand, my ability to learn skill sets, to learn patience, proper usage and technique, always pays off when properly utilized and it pays off in unexpected dividends.
Steve is the “shop teacher” by default because of his own knowledge of safety and his persistent patience. I would like to jump in headfirst and he reminds me that a task requires foresight and then follow through, as he himself has learned continually through experiential knowledge. Does that mean that my creative thoughts and wisdom gets squelched out? No! it actually is just implemented in the correct places, and timing and yields a result of cohesiveness. I speak into his concepts of something and it encourages and expounds on his willingness to learn as well.
We have learned more about one another by starting at the drawing board of a new project, then we have trying to prove our own points in an argument, at any other point in our marriage. When a project is reliant on dual follow through and planning, a commitment is fulfilled in the most beautiful way.
What God is teaching Us
I will segue all of this euphemistic wood shop talk and analogies to say, these last few years have been the best to unite us in marriage. We have seen the Lord teach, shelter, rebuke, encourage and renew us in many ways, ways we never would have imagined, nor wanted to. The weakened walls, tresses, and cracks in our foundation were replaced and/or renewed, we have endured and prospered because of Christ’s promises to “be with us until the end of the age.”
In turn that has allowed His grace to penetrate and reigns through and true. It has given us faith to step up and out and really relishing what authenticity in learning the gospel of Christ and relishing that “three stranded cord” where the rope of ourselves is wound around the unity of the bond of Christ. We pray that it eventually pours out through us and our family to the ends of the earth, along with the whole Bride of Christ. That is kind of where we are, still learning, New Testament in our marriage and new chapters, 10 years in and learning more and more about one another, but also learning to rely on the Holy Spirit’s lead.
Wood working has established some new moments where I have learned what biblical submission means, it’s not by force, but by the example of love, and Steve has stepped up in leading. The song we danced to at our Wedding reception was “Lead me” by Sanctus Real, the melody still creeps in and makes me weep when I think about and hear it. We prayed for one another over the years for what the Lord is doing in our lives and what he has done by his plans and promises.
Wood working has been a therapeutic exercise and opportunity that produces a fruitful yield of learning and wisdom. When we choose to surrender and set ourselves aside and learn and apply the giftedness of the Spirit, He shows us what is possible. Sometimes it is a cutting board, a deep conversation, learning to effectively communicate, and those investments always pay off in producing real love and appreciation for one another, no matter the journey.
The Lord is continually whittling and milling away at us to be conformed into the image of Christ. That doesn’t mean we aren’t still sinners who argue, we often disagree, and sometimes allow pride an ugly foothold, but it means in turn, we are learning and teaching one another, in this process by the processing of the Holy Spirit, so we may be brought out refined, and better out of it, than we came into it, ” till the end of the age.”
Cheers