I somehow always feel slighted when walking up to somebody's hearth and feeling no heat from their roaring gas fire. Having lived the first six year of our marriage in Colorado, and heating with wood, I know the wonderful feel of a wood fire, and the even better warmth from a wood stove. The first winter in our cabin, we used coal, until we got sick of the kerosene odor-the old timers called it coal oil, a more apt description. Somehow living in a cabin that always smelled like a freshly fueled Kenworth had limited appeal. So we did what a lot of us poor people did, stopped every night at the aspen paneling plant in Bayfield-where we would build our house, and carefully load all the aspen rejects in our Rabbit that would fit. I couldn't give you a total count, but a lot of people used these scraps, the pile start as big as a house, then dwindle to nothing the next day-all for free. Neighbors helping neighbors. But being aspen, it burned fast, some could be lit with a match, and hot-so after the initial burst the temp would drop drastically until you fed the stove again, and again, and the first one up in the morning froze while they started the fire-but was also the first one warm after starting it.
For the last three years we lived in a house we had built by FmHA. To qualify you had to be poor-so we easily qualified. Great houses-built to great specs, and cheap-$137 month for a mortgage. And we had a hearth built from the bricks from Granny's Cycle Center that had mysteriously blown up, and a wood burning stove on it. It would get the house so hot that the smoke alarm at the other end of the house would go off, and generally kept all the snow melted off the roof. Keeping a pot of water on the top hot plate also kept the room humidified, adding spices gave a nice holiday aroma. And at 20 cords of wood per winter burned, kept us busy at wood camp every August.
There is an old saying that if you cut your own wood, your warm yourself twice-I know it to be true. Going with Tony and David Yarina, we all worked at Coke, was a true testament to warming yourself once for Tony. He liked to talk, and in between "Tony are you going to help?" , the same one who felled the tree on my truck, found time to smoke his two packs of Winstons per day. David had married Fred Horvat's daughter, Brendie Ann, named after her mother. Brenda was known in town as the bad witch, and I met her when assistant service manager at the Ford dealer, when she drove in and grown men hid-really. Fred, her husband was the opposite-a great guy, who hated everyone for some reason. Too short, too tall, too rich-he was an equal opportunity hater. But he liked me-scary huh? Fred was known for working for Coca Cola for 50 years, and when the old man-the president offered him lunch at Sambo's-anything you want off the menu-Fred told him he was busy and went off on his numerous other enterprises-sorta like Radar, who knew everyone and had more businesses going on the side. And this was the crew who we cut wood with. Our common denominator being poor, and needing wood. Not one time did we ever do anything social, but cut wood we did. And only when we went out without the Yarinas did we have trouble. Still not sure of the physical law that surrounds that one.
And we worked out a system that worked great. Warming ourselves five times, when a mere mortal would only be able to do it twice. We would cut down the trees-living in a 2.2 million acre national forest gave us plenty to choose from, and cut them to six foot lengths, and then load them in the trucks. Using rails, we could get them piled as high as the cab in my old Ford. Note-there is a reason why all the good trees are downhill from the road-only took us an afternoon of cutting and dragging them uphill to figure that one out. Then when we got home, threw them over the chain link fence, to be cut later. Then into 18" lengths, and stacked. And then split, usually when you had some aggression to get rid of was the best time, and then restacked before carrying in the house. And with wood going for $45/cord, we heated our house well for cheap, for the six months of winter.
Only one time did we stray from going with the Yarinas, Theresa and I went out on our own, just six miles from home, and found a group of trees already felled. First warming done. Rapidly loading the old Ford, we were making great time until I cut into a tree full of bees-and did the stupid thing-dropped the chain saw right on top of them! And ran with them in pursuit, only getting stung six times! But there sat the saw, amid the buzzing bees, with us staring at each other-knowing full well I would be the one to rescue it, since I was the stupid one to drop it. With only 50 feet separating me from my set of bee stings. So getting a running start-ran full speed-note, not very fast for a normal person, and grabbed the handle on the run and rescued the saw-with no more bee stings! And we loaded up the truck and got out of there fast-before they got on their bee hotline and the whole forest would be out looking for us! Lesson learned-two Yarinas are better than six bee stings.
Warm by the fire-nothing like it. A feeling of comfort, and warmth, and security. A heat found no in no other source. Our Lord is a lot like that, a love found in no other source. Just like there are many ways to keep warm, the world claims there are many ways to God. But God, knowing that many of us aren't as smart, or adept as we think, made it a one way, the only way to Him via Jesus. Who even as a baby was announced as king by the wise men, sending Herod off looking to kill all children under two years old. Although your manger may say so, the wise men weren't there at the manger, and showed up sometime later before He was two, and the number three isn't ever mentioned in scripture-but it does make for a great song. Even at His birth, He caused sides to be drawn-those who believed He was the savior, and those who wanted to kill Him because of His claim. And that sad Christmas tradition continues today. Those who want to take Christ out of Christmas, who deny Him, and curse the God that sent Him, so we could be free from our sins, and have a relationship with the loving, living God. But to those who believe, He is everything to us. Master and savior, friend and confidant, beginning and end-and everything in between.
So if you get the chance, while sitting by a warm fire, eating a S'more and drinking hot cider or cocoa-remember He is the reason for the season. And share Him with others. Just as cutting your own wood warms you twice, loving Him now gives you a peace twice-on earth and in heaven. Tell His story while warming yourself, and be thankful for all He has done. Make it your Christmas tradition to welcome into your home 365 days a year, and let His peace and goodwill to all men be shared by you to others. Just like a cozy fire, there is something very personal about Jesus. Warm your heart in Him today.
Think I'll just go put another log on the fire-seems more cozy and intimate than turning up the thermostat. For a savior who will take care of the rest. Sleep in heavenly peace-silently. Christ our savior is born-hallelujah!
love with compassion,
Mike
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