"Christians In Touch" -- Geoff's Jottings Archive

Reflections on Wood

August 2003

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7. (NIV)

I mentioned in a previous issue about the time I had a back injury and because I could not work for six months I could not pay the business loan I had with the bank and they repossessed my home but God gave us another one and from this new home God showed me the way forward&&&&

It is almost ten years ago now that God started talking to me about my work situation. As our regulars will know, I am a carpenter/joiner by trade and really enjoy the work I do. At the time I could not see myself returning to my carpentry business because of my back situation, I had to do something else, but what. As the days went by God started to show me what He wanted me to do. I was to start a new business making Christian gift items in Welsh hardwoods that would glorify the name of the Lord and unbeknown to me at the time lead many into the Kingdom of God.

I was registered as a disabled person and as such I was entitled to a grant for equipment in order to start the new business. The following weeks were just a whirlwind of wonderful things happening. Our new home was a large one with a big garage that was to become my workshop. I had several meetings with the grant people and the list of equipment was drawn up and ordered. I could only go to a certain limit, I would not have enough equipment initially and the grant people would not supply anything that they called consumable, things like sandpaper, saw blades, polishes etc, but I did not worry, God was in control and I knew in my heart and without any doubt whatsoever that this is what God wanted me to do and so Reflections on Wood was born.

I would state at this juncture that we were totally broke, we did not have a bean, and we just had enough money coming in to pay essential bills and to buy basic food. We had lost our home but I had not lost my hope in God. I did not go out and advertise our needs, I just prayed, and then when prayers were answered I knew that it was from God.

I had so many things in my favour. My wife was a good artist, I was skilled with wood, and we had the ideal premises. It took about two months for everything to happen before we actually started production. Every day of these two months we were so dependant on the Lord not only for our own needs but also for the needs of the new business. I needed consumables, I needed extra equipment, and I needed wood and so many other things. It was a bit like a jigsaw, the picture was not complete until the last piece was in place.

During those two months I was just amazed at what was happening. Sometimes I would come down in the morning and there would be money on the door mat. A lady from another church rang to say she was coming over, she ran a Christian coffee shop, she had filled her car with food, and the Lord had got her up in the middle of the night and told her what to put in all the boxes she brought. A friend turned up with a car full of wood, as he pulled away an old chap I had never seen before turned up in his car, which was also full of wood. We went out one day to get something and when we got back the porch was full of food that someone else had brought. A couple from another church paid for an expensive piece of equipment I needed.

As I made things so I needed more hardwood. I rang a chap who would supply my needs who had his business about 60 miles away, he had everything I wanted. I borrowed my brothers estate car and went. I only had £50 with me and in reality I needed about £300, I prayed on the way down, when I got there the chap showed me several species of beautiful hardwood, I then confessed that I could only afford £50 worth of timber. Dont worry about that, the chap said, all my first time customers go away happy. I could not believe it. I shoved my £50 into his grubby hand and he called his assistant to get various samples of wood. We filled the car to its maximum capacity and also filled up the roof rack, I must have had £600 worth of timber. Oh how I rejoiced in the Lord. And so we now had everything we needed to start the business. I had already been to several Christian shops and had shown samples and I had a book full of orders. We made beautiful plaques in all shapes and sizes with well known Bible verses inscribed onto the wood. No one else was making what we were, the world was our oyster.

The business grew and we acquired a small industrial unit, I was working very long hours. I would love the evenings when all the other businesses had closed. I would put my praise tapes on and turn the volume up really loud and just enter into a wonderful time of praise and worship giving thanks to God for all He had done. Sometimes it was as though the Lord came into the unit with all His angels, sometimes the awesome presence of God was so powerful that I would be on my knees with tears pouring down my cheeks as I entered into His wonderful presence.

Sadly after two years I closed the business down. Things had slowed right down and the business was no longer viable. I know I had made mistakes. I was spending so much time in the unit trying to make it work and as a result was spending less quality time with God; I was doing things in my own strength instead of His. Looking back I clearly see where I went wrong, my time with God was at an all time low. How can a son get to know his Father if he does not spend quality time with him.

Now nearly ten years on I deeply regret the mistakes I made but it is not too late for me to start again. I feel the Lord is leading me into something new again and who knows, Reflections on Wood may be reborn. Keep watching this space.

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