Rest

Rest is a strange concept and real rest, certainly in my life, is rare. 

Do you know the story of the 2 wood choppers?

They both were assigned an area to chop wood in and were told the one who chopped the most logs at the end of the day would receive double the day’s pay. 

The first chopper, let’s call him Chip the Chopper, set to work. He set up station and quickly collected a nice pile of wood. He blasted through the first pile and went to gather more. After Chip had chopped through the second, he went and collected a third and so on and so on. After he’d completed pile 6, he noticed his friend, let’s call him Larry the Logger, sitting down by his station. 

“Hey lazy Larry! You’re not gonna’ get the bonus sitting down my friend”. 

He laughed to himself and felt sure the double pay was his. 

At lunch time, Chip was confident, he knew he was way in front. His pile was much bigger than Larry’s. Larry was sitting down again. If Chip kept a steady pace he would easily win. As the afternoon rolled on, Chip’s logs started to need two or three blows with the axe to get them split. He thought to himself ‘these logs are getting knotty’ He looked over at Larry striking through each log with one straight blow, so he abandoned the pile and set another up another station. Three or four logs in, he couldn’t believe his luck! Another knotty batch, and these were even worse! Some of them needing four blows to get them split. 

“Hey Larry, where’d you find those nice logs!?”

Larry didn’t answer as chopped straight through another log. Chip thought to himself, ‘I need some nice logs like Larry’s.’ He started wondering around the forest looking for logs with no knots. He found a few, but he was struggling to get through any in under three blows. He had some water, a quick sit down and ate an apple. ‘A bit of rest will help’ He hit the logs harder, but they just weren’t splitting like they were in the morning. Harder and harder he hit them, and he got more and more tired. Each log was taking at least three heavy blows and he was getting very tired now. Larry struck straight though another log. Chip found himself having to take a breather in between each one! What was wrong?! What was different...? He looked at Larry, who was sitting down again, ‘At least he’s having to rest too.... although his chopped pile was looking quite large! RIGHT! Back to it!’ 

Larry was back to it too, his logs where all just taking one blow to split though, Chip’s were taking three or four blows now! Larry’s pile got bigger and bigger and bigger. Chip just couldn’t keep up!? It was clear that Larry’s pile was steadily growing larger than his. Larry the logger was going to be taking double wages home today and it wasn’t even 3 o’clock. Chip couldn’t believe it! He’d started so well! Where had it all gone wrong?! Chip looked over at Larry. Larry was sitting down again. 

“Hey Larry” said Chip.

“Yep” came the reply.

 “What are doing over there, bud?”

“Sharpening my axe Chip.” 

The rest is history.

Derek Garner