Out in “Santa’s Workshop” I have a “scrap pile” of wood – a pile of odds and ends from prior projects. Often when I am woodworking I can see beauty in the “scrap,” as well as the wood I’m using for a particular project – and I am just unable to throw it away. Tommy and I talked about this very thing last week. I “try” to stack the scrap in an orderly pile, but I often fail at it! Oh well… LOL!
This scrap pile isn’t too bad…
In an earlier blog this month, I shared that my favorite Christmas carol was “The Littlest Angel,” by Bing Crosby. In the carol, the “littlest angel” sets a little box brought from Earth down with the other gifts at the birth of our Holy Child. In the box are his ‘treasurers’ – things of no value to anyone else, but priceless to him. There’s a butterfly with golden wings, a little piece of a hollow log, two shiny stones from a river bank and a worn out strap from his faithful dog. That carol really reaches my soul; I can hardly listen to it with our waves of humility rolling over me as the tears flow…
So I looked at that “scrap pile” the other morning and I saw ‘beauty.’ And I knew what I was going to do with it – build little boxes – and give them to the people in my life I love so much… This is my first ‘batch,’ and I am quite pleased with them all…
In the photo above you can see boxes made of (L to R): curly maple, mahogany, claro walnut, birdseye pine and the long box in front is made from curly cherry.
I don’t think I will have them all ready this year for Christmas, but there will be “other occasions.” I am using a specific wood for each specific person in my life. Then I think I will add something of mine to the box when I give it away – some little ‘treasure’ I’ve held on to for whatever reason… maybe a set of my wings, perhaps the chin strap off my helmet, a flying glove I once wore, an old medal – whatever… just something of myself.
Building these boxes from”scrap” is somewhat spiritual in nature for me. There was a time when I thought I was on the “scrap pile” in Life; that I had no value or worth. But somehow, here I am today – so blessed, in so many ways. And it’s not lost on me that, like the Holy Child chose the gift of the Littlest Angel, He also chose me…