Tent Making
When Blizzard decides to make his very own hunting tent, he discovers that a little determination, a lot of patience, and the wisdom of his grandparents can turn a big idea into a wonderful adventure.
“Grandpa! Grandpa!” I exclaimed as he was staring out our living room window. “I want to make a tent!”
Grandpa replied, “Why do you want to make a tent? We have two good ones already.”
“I want to make a hunting tent for Cyclone and me to hunt from our backyard. We will set it up near our forest. We want to be elk hunters like you and hunt here when we are not out camping with you and Uncle Kent.”
“I see,” said Grandpa. “You want me to make you a tent so you will have one of your own. Have you decided what type and size of tent you will need for your hunt?”
“Grandpa, you don’t see. I want to make a 6-foot by 7-foot tent. I want to make it and be the tent maker. I want to follow the example of the Apostle Paul and his friends Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:1–3) to be a good tent maker. The tent should be a smaller version of our white camp tent.”
“All right,” Grandpa said. “You can make the tent, and I will help. I can start by advising you what materials you will need and what is possible with the tools we have. Your Grandma’s sewing machine is very strong for normal home use, but I doubt it is up to sewing multiple layers of heavy canvas. We will need lighter, durable material. I have an idea where we can get some. We will also need to purchase a grommet tool and some good rope. When would you like to start?”
“I am your Blizzard,” I replied. “We can start as soon as you have the time.”
Soon Grandpa was talking to Grandma about my project. He said he would take me to the local paint store to get started. I had no idea why we would start with a “paint store.” I started thinking Grandpa misunderstood what I wanted to do.
Then he informed Grandma that I would draw out my tent plan, then measure and mark the pieces, cut, fold the edges, pin, and prepare to sew.
When Grandpa was finished talking with Grandma, he told me we would need new lightweight canvas material for the tent and fly. I asked Grandpa why we needed to go to a “paint store.” He said that is where we would buy our canvas for the tent. Then I was very excited.
All of a sudden, I got kind of scared! I did not know how to make a tent. Had I bitten off more than I could manage? I found out that even though Grandpa knew where to get the tent material, the total package would cost over $100.
At that point, I went into our bedroom and got down on my knees and prayed. Suddenly, as if someone (Jesus) spoke to me, I realized Grandpa and Grandma would be with me to guide me and help when I needed assistance. I knew they would not let me make a mess of things. I felt great again!
That evening Grandpa showed me some pictures of wall tents. He then gave me a ruler, and he guided me through the drawing process. When I forgot to add some extra material for the overlap at the seams and at the bottom of the tent roof, he recommended I add the material needed to be folded. He told me just how much extra canvas would be required. Before bedtime, I had my complete drawing and materials list.
The next morning Grandpa and I went to the paint store and purchased some large drop cloths. Then we went to the hardware store and purchased a grommet punch tool with a lot of grommets. We also purchased some canvas sealer.
For the next week, Grandpa, Grandma, and I worked on measuring, marking, cutting, and sewing the tent. Grandpa had me measure everything twice, then he inspected it. I did the sewing with a little help from Grandma after I pinned the cloth together as Grandpa had shown me. Well, maybe it was a lot of help from Grandma, but she let me run the sewing machine. It was fun but hard work. I did not realize all of the things that go into making a tent when I started, so I learned a lot.
When the tent was finished, I thanked Grandpa and Grandma and gave them a big hug. But my story does not end there. The next day, when Cyclone and I had our tent erected and our sleeping bags laid out inside, I went into the house and told Grandpa we wanted to shoot a little elk down in the woods nearby.
“What!???” he exclaimed. “You want to do what?”
“We want to shoot a little elk,” I replied. “We want to shoot one that comes into our yard in the evening. That will keep the rascals out of our yard, and Cyclone and I will learn to cook venison.”
“Those are deer and not elk,” Grandpa replied. “You can’t shoot a deer just because you are camping. It is not legal, and besides, we don’t need one to provide for our sustenance.”
I laughed, then thanked Grandpa and gave him another big hug. I followed up with, “We will just pretend to shoot an elk for our winter food.” Then I ran back outside to be with Cyclone.
Probably the thing that humbled me the most was learning just how much grandparents have learned through a lifetime of experience.
As Grandpa checked out our tent plans on the computer and did the math to convert their plans to fit my needs, I realized that with age comes a lot of wisdom. I also know that Grandpa does not kid around about shooting an animal. He believes that God made the animals but permits us to use them. Thank you, Lord, and Grandpa and Grandma too.
Friends, I hope you have learned to appreciate your elders, especially your parents and grandparents, as they love and care for you.
Love,
Blizzard
Why was it important to Blizzard to make his own tent instead of having Grandpa make it for him?
When Blizzard felt discouraged, he turned to prayer. How can faith help us find courage and confidence when facing new challenges?
Grandpa and Grandma shared their knowledge and experience to help Blizzard succeed. What is something you've learned from a parent, grandparent, or another older person that you might not have learned on your own?
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