I
have had this project going for a few months now, maybe even, longer. I have always loved wooden rocking horses.
They come in all shapes, sizes and colors, just like people, I guess. Each
horse has a story behind it. They take time to cut, shape, glue, and finish,
and each was built by a craftsman who loved what he does.
When
John, our youngest son, was born, I had a pattern for a wooden rocking horse
that I wanted to build for him. I decided to ask my dad to build that horse,
and he did a great job. I know the horse gave him some challenges, but Johnny
received a beautiful oak rocking horse from Grandpa Jarding. The horse is a
nice stained piece of oak, and will be a family heirloom for generations to
come. I imagine a few generations hence, when true craftsmanship is all but
forgotten, and everything is built with computer-guided machinery, some great
grandchild of ours will ride that horse and I hope his parents will tell the
story about Great-Great Grandpa Jim Jarding who built that horse. They will
tell him that Grandpa Jim was a farmer for the first part of his life, and was
always a farmer at heart. He took a job carrying mail in the early sixties. He
loved carrying mail, and made a lot of good friends over the years. Grandpa Jim
built many different things for us. He welded a steel pipe swingset for us
while still on the farm. If something needed to be built or fixed, he just did
it. He was a pretty handy guy with tools. Our sister, Connie, was born with
Cerebal Palsey, and could not stand or walk. Dad built little walkers for her
from steel pipe and wood, while mom sewed seats for the walkers out of leather
and cloth. Connie had several tables built for her by dad so she would have a
place to stand and watch mom working in the kitchen. Dad even built her first
wheel chairs from steel well pipe and casters.
That
is probably where I got my urge to make things. I always liked working with
wood, and, thanks to the genetics from Dad, I was able to have some success at
it.
I
planned to build a rocking horse for each of my son’s families when the time
came. I build Kolbe an oak horse last Christmas. I thought I had plenty of time
to build the other three. God has put me on an accelerated plan now, so I am
trying to get these other three horses done for this Christmas, and I will make
that. I will also have to build a dolly cradle later this spring for one little
granddaughter.
I
had decided to cut out all three sets of parts at the same time to “mass
produce” these three horses. The process moves along, but when working with 1
½” And 2” oak boards, the wood is hard, and the wood does not always cooperate
with the tools shaping it. I have found that I had to re-glue and re-cut some
pieces, as the router knocked out large chunks of oak at the most unexpected
times. The grain of the wood has a lot to do with this. As the rapidly spinning
router blade moves along to shape the oak piece, sometimes the grain is a bit
rough or moving into a knotty area, and the router tears out a larger piece
than I had hoped it would. The wood worker, me, has to then not swear, go get
another piece of oak, cut and glue it, and shape it to the pattern of the piece
I need. This has been a process, but I do enjoy the process. I try to be
patient, and it has been going well. I try to take a faith lesson from all of
this, and here it is.
We
are all like pieces of uncut raw wood in the hands of the Master Woodworker.
He, through life’s trials, tests, and blessings, cuts us to the pattern we are
to be. As He shapes us, I think sometimes we fight back, and our stubborn and
sinful ways can cause his machinery to tear out a large chunk of wood. He
patiently glues back the piece and continues to shape us into the beautiful
creation we are meant to be. Sometimes He has to almost start over with the
process in some of us, but He doesn’t get angry and throw us aside, He keeps
working with us until we become what He knows we can be. I suppose the pieces
that just won’t cooperate end up in the fire pit pile, like my scraps do.
As
my future grandchildren ride their rocking horses, I hope they squeal with joy
and have big smiles on their faces. They will have lots of fun on their horses,
and both Grandpa Jim and Great Grandpa Jim will be up in heaven smiling down on
them and watching them have fun.
I
have been feeling pretty good, and feel that God has truly Blessed me and my
family this Thanksgiving. Make it a great week, and enjoy God’s many Blessings!
