Old Wood Stove

There's an old wood stove in Honey's workshop. When the weather starts turning cold, the lights in the shop come on and the wood stove comes to life. Over the years winters have become our slow months. Snow plowing brings a hectic rush of activity for about 24 to 48 hours, then quiet for several days. Honey will often start feeding the old stove first thing in the morning while I make our coffee.

Honey's workshop is multi-purpose. Sometimes he'll have a mechanical task in the works, or some woodworking project started. More often than not, the shop is so "full" that maneuvering from one end to the other requires enormous dexterity. But, during the winter, the area around the wood stove is cleared away and the chairs are brought out.

Some of our best discussions have occurred around that old stove. Politics and current events are hashed & rehashed frequently. I bet we've solved the problems of the nations time & again around that old stove. We've shared some of our most inner thoughts and feelings while warming ourselves on a cold morning sitting beside that stove. More than a few times, we've stopped our day and joined hands in prayer over a pressing need or concerns about a wayward child beside that stove.

During the winter, we sit and discuss the progress (or lack of)from the previous summer and plan for the year ahead. Dreams have been born and some have even died right there beside that old stove. There are occasional mornings where we just sit quietly listening to the snap & crackle of the wood as it burns, thinking private thoughts and content just being together.

When our mugs are empty and it's time for the day to begin, we part ways with the reassurance that God is in control and for today ~ we won't worry. In no one's standard are we rich in worldly goods. But we are wealthy beyond measure. God provides us with enough to sustain us for today; and more importantly, His peace envelopes us as we spend time with Him and with each other around that old wood stove.

May the Lord bless you.