The Rocking Horse
The last few days, being stuck inside due to the winter storm, has inflicted upon me something akin to cabin fever. This post will reflect the scattered state of my brain, which is currently partially frozen.
Yesterday we walked to my mother’s house to visit her and her sister. They decided to ride out the storm together playing games, talking, and reminiscing on their younger days.
At the end of our visit, my mother surprised me by passing on a treasured rocking horse to me for my grandkids. It was a bittersweet gift. I immediately imagined my granddaughters, and any future grandchildren, squealing in delight as they rocked back and forth on this family treasure. I say it was bittersweet because it was crafted by my father nearly 40 years ago. He passed away on this day, January 28th, in 2022. I often think of the things he has missed during these past four years but I know he hasn’t truly missed them. He’s been with us every step of the way.
He created the rocking horse for my brother Dustin (who passed away in 2023). It is made of American “Wormy” Chestnut that we believe was taken from the property where my grandfather was raised. I remember him creating it in the basement of our old house. His basement “woodshop” was filled with a Shopsmith, various pieces of wood, work benches, and of course gun powder and ammunition reloading supplies. The smell and feel of that room was wonderful even though today it would probably be on some sort of watch list or county emergency hotspot.
Looking at this rocking horse, now sitting in my living room, stirs up a storm of emotions. I’m filled with hope, sadness, joy, expectation, sorrow, and gratitude. It’s a generational gift. The wood was handled by my father and grandfather and taken from my great-grandfather’s property. It was crafted by my father. It was enjoyed by my brother and children. Hopefully it will be enjoyed by my grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and generations to come. It will witness the comings and goings of family life in all of its beauty and messiness. It will hear our prayers, watch our tears, give rides of joy, and probably a bruise or two.
Gratitude, that is the overwhelming emotion, though. I’m thankful for this rocking horse and everything behind its creation. I’m thankful for the gift of my life and everything behind its creation. I truly stand on the shoulders of giants and recognizing this helps me stay in the saddle…
The Parables of Life
A carpenter and son of a carpenter sits in a fisherman’s boat teaching about agriculture. Okay, maybe that’s the worst way to introduce today’s Gospel. However, I’m sure there were some in the crowd who thought just that!
In today’s Gospel Jesus’ disciples ask Him why He speaks to the people in parables. They want to know why He doesn’t speak plainly as He does with them. It appears as though the disciples are taking Jesus to task for keeping secrets or veiling His teachings.
In reality Jesus is very much unveiling His teachings and revealing them in a simple way hoping the crowd will “get it”. He is like a school teacher who searches for ways to explain complex things in simple terms so that the students will “get it”.
Parables are simplifications not complications. They are designed to address spiritual truths by way of physical realities. They concern the things that they, and we, are very familiar with – parties, weddings, cooking, growing, earthly treasure and so on. Using parables makes the story stick even if the message isn’t yet grasped.
Sometimes the hearer is just not ready for the teaching. If you are like me you have had many epiphanies while reading a Scripture passage that you know you have read probably a hundred times before. Yet it is that one hundred and first time that really smacks you between the eyes. It isn’t that the teaching changed, it’s simply that you and I weren’t ready for it at that time in our life.
If we are honest, we could say that life is a parable. It’s a living parable. It’s designed to teach us deeper meanings about God while also respecting our freewill. All of creation, everything around us points to God.
The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
there is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world. – Psalm 19: 1-4
Do we have the eyes to see and ears to hear?
The rocking horse too is a parable. It’s taught me that creating something beautiful to pass on is worth every effort even if you might not see the joy it brings to those who come after you. That something beautiful may be a rocking horse, a table, a book, your marriage, or quite simply and more importantly, a life well lived. What’s your rocking horse?
Spread the faith and give joy with a gift from our store…
James M. Hahn, Author 