It was an old tree, and it needed to come down. Not a huge one that was in danger of hitting the house as it fell, but big enough that chopping it down would be quite a project. Going into the garage with his 12-year-old son, he grabbed an axe and walked his boy out to the yard. "Here you go, son, I'd like this tree down when I get home from work."
Laboring all day, he hacked and chopped, swung and swung again. This angle, that angle, over and over. Having never chopped down a tree before, he had to figure it out. While the work was super hard and the weather was hot, he didn't quit, and ultimately, about 30 minutes before his Dad returned home, the tree had fallen.
Proudly standing next to the two-foot stump that remained, his Dad came out with a chainsaw and within about 30 seconds cut the stump down to the ground. A chainsaw! What? That would have been nice, he thought. I just spent all day cutting this tree down with an axe, and you could have done it in minutes???
When my friend told me this story the other day, I thought what a great lesson. It's not about the tree.
"So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God." (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13)
Hearing this story reminded me of the countless cords of wood I split when I was younger, and how much as an adult, I love the days I get to start up the chainsaw and go to work. There's nothing quite like the fruits of a hard day's work. The feel of the axe slicing through a log, splintering in all directions, the smell of the gas, chain oil, and sawdust, the sense of accomplishment as you watch the tree transform into a neatly structured stack of wood, and the anticipation of burning it later, makes my heart happy just thinking about it.
Some lessons can only be learned through hard work. Especially learning HOW to work- some sweat, a blister or two, and a few splinters. We have to learn by doing. We have to get into things we haven't done before and figure it out. Ignore the easy way out and go through the difficult process. Swing the axe over and over again until we learn the right techniques, proper angles, and perseverance.
It's not about the tree, it's about the process.
Where are you toiling today, and wondering if it's worth it? Difficulties that you just don't appreciate in the moment. Keep chopping wood. It's not about the tree, but what God is preparing you for: a skill, some strength, and possibly a better work ethic you need to develop. Perhaps you need to give your children an axe and let them swing it for a while so they learn to work too.
Keep chopping wood, it's not about the tree. Both the process and the fruits of your labor are a gift from God.