The Beauty of the Burl by Phil

For woodworkers, one of the most prized pieces of a tree is the burl. What is a burl you ask? Well, allow me to enlighten you!

According to Wikipedia, a burl is "a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds. Burl formation is typically a result of some form of stress such as an injury or a viral or fungal infection." A burl is a result of the healing process of trees much like scars are on humans. In some tree species, they can grow to be as large as 26 feet across!

Burls are difficult to work as the grain goes in all sorts of random directions and patterns, which can cause it to chip and tear out unpredictably. That "wild" grain pattern is also the reason burls are treasured - they are beautiful. The swirls and swoops of the grain, the rich color variations, and the unique patterns combine to make a truly gorgeous piece of wood that seems to shimmer in the light. In fact, burl is often cut into very thin sheets of veneer so it can be overlaid on many different projects.

When a woodworker works with burl he or she must exercise much care and patience in shaping the piece. He won't hide the burl in an unseen part of the project, it will be prominently displayed. The very fact that the "wild" grain doesn't look like the other wooden pieces isn't a negative, it's what turns an ordinary vessel into a masterpiece. In the talented hands of a master woodworker, what was once an ugly deformity can be transformed into a thing of beauty.

We all have "burls" in our lives - cause by injuries, illnesses, and often times as the result of our own selfish, sinful choices. When God reshapes our lives into useful vessels, he doesn't carve out all the deformed and damaged parts. We are often embarrassed by those areas and try to hide them. But if we allow God to work through our stories and struggles, they can be our most powerful testimony.

Don't be ashamed of your "burls." Instead, be thankful that God loves us, burls and all. And even though He "makes all things new," He leaves reminders of our past, not to burden us but to remind us how great is his transforming power. We are all living examples that in the hands of the Master, the broken, ugly, deformed, and damaged can become a thing of beauty.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. - Ephesians 2:10

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Burly and Blessed!
Phil and Pam

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