Lumber Management

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Lumber Management (a brief lectionary reflection by Steve Orr for the Liturgy of the Passion)

As we move toward the end of this season of Lent, I am reminded of my sojourn in lumber management...

But before we go there, you need to know how I feel about my woodworking skills.  Like most of you, there are some things in this life that I am very proud to claim.  Mostly, they're very personal things: those rare times when, even though I feared the personal repercussions, I gutted up and stood by a friend; my service to my country; that Mrs. Cooper wrote in my yearbook that I was a balance-wheel; that I can still make my wife laugh out loud.  And right up there with these is carpentry.     

There was a time when people paid me to build things out of wood.  I did a lot of things to pay for college; some of which, looking back, seem too bizarre to be believed.  Carpentry was one of the best.  All of my carpentry memories are good ones.  What joy to start out with some wood and some tools, and then end up with something sturdy, beautiful, useful, or all three.  And even though that's not something you really forget how to do, like many things in this life, life itself can move it to the sidelines.  

So, imagine my thrill when, recently, I met a man who told me he was part of a group who, working with Habitat for Humanity, build wheelchair ramps for those in need.  I was immediately drawn to this charitable enterprise.  I quickly told him of my carpentry experience and asked if he thought I could join them in their service.  He smiled and, reflecting on what I had told him, said, "We could use you in lumber management."  The next opportunity was coming up that weekend.

When that Saturday morning arrived, I was excited to get started.  As I drove my car through the cool gray of the early morning, I kept checking the map to be sure I was headed in the right direction.  We were to meet in a part of town with which I was unfamiliar.  There was a little bit of trepidation on my part---I only knew one of these men, and him not so well---but the trepidation was far outweighed by the excitement I felt at being able to resurrect some skill sets which I truly loved. 

The opportunity to once again use my carpentry skills was such a big draw, I almost wouldn't have cared what we were going to build. The fact that our objective was to construct a wheelchair ramp for the home of an elderly person was, as they say, icing on the cake.  Don't get me wrong; I was very pleased I would be able to apply my skills to such a worthy cause. It felt right. 

We all stood around for a while.  I learned we were waiting for the leader to arrive.  I introduced myself to everyone while continuing to watch for my new friend.  Eventually, he showed up and came over to greet me.  I asked him if I should get my tools from the car, but he assured me the crew had everything I would need.  Soon everyone was present and we were ready to begin.  Then, while some of the men walked toward the saw horses and power tools, my new friend steered me in the other direction ... toward a sizable pile of lumber where I joined four other men.

Without preamble he explained to us that the lumber was grouped by thickness and width, but that the lengths would be cut to fit; that our job was to bring to the "power saw guy" whatever piece of lumber he requested, and then to hold it while the cuts were made.  Lumber management.

I took my friend aside and explained how disappointed I was to not be actually building something.  In response, he gently and patiently explained to me how the cow ate the cabbage.  The roles for this enterprise had long ago been decided; the people vetted for their appropriateness to the task to which they had been assigned.  What was now needed were some folks who were willing to do the non-glamorous work of hauling lumber and holding it steady so the others could fulfill their assignments.  If we all did our part, we would end the day with a sturdy and useful wheelchair ramp for a person who really needed one to get in and out of their home.

It was a truly humbling moment.

I learned a lot that day, both about lumber management and about doing the work one is called to do.  When the jobs we are assigned to do seem beneath us, it rankles.  Especially when we KNOW we are being WAY underutilized; when we know there is so much more we COULD do, could give.  It feels wasteful.  And yet, sometimes, God asks of us only a simple thing.  Sometimes, while all about us others seem to have very important things to do, what is required of us, like Simon of Cyrene in Matthew 27:32, is to haul some wood for them.  

Lumber management. 

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

Liturgy of the Passion (April 17, 2011)
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11
Matthew 26:14-27:66 or Matthew 27:11-54

If you are in Waco on Friday morning, join us at 8:00 a.m. at Cafe Cappuccino for breakfast and a chance to discuss this week's Lectionary passages.  

I'm going.  See you there?

Steve