forged from the start

One of the reasons that I was attracted to blacksmithing besides the ancient craft was that traditional blacksmiths struggled. They struggled with the heat, with the material, and they struggled with the dirt. Overall it is an ongoing struggle.

I say this because it relates to what I, as a Catholic father, husband, and man, struggle with continuously. The world, the flesh, and the devil want to strip us of the heritage that is the created man.

Even our jobs and occupations do this. They want to take away that struggle. Everything is easy; everything is automatic. We only have to press buttons.

From the time I can remember, I was always interested in the creative process. I was learning by doing everything by hand. As time passed, it all switched over to an automated process. It took away the struggle and the ability to think creatively and solve problems.

I see this daily in my teaching. Students no longer want to approach their work through struggle but want instant gratifications. They want the software and the hardware to do it for them. As a result, their work is most definitely of lower quality. They forgo the struggle because of ease.

That is why blacksmithing appeals to me, especially when done by hand. Of course, like any industry, you can buy fancy machines and equipment to make it easier, which is always appealing to some. Still, the actual struggle is what we need.

As this plays out in our work, it also relates to our faith, lives, thoughts, and actions. So, if you can start by looking at the processes and things you do daily from that perspective, it may help to appreciate how we were created and for what purpose.

Try today to take one thing that you know has gotten easier, and try to do it manually. Then look back at that and recognize the struggle.