by John Youngbauer

Created on: August 08, 2011

The Shelter

The shelter was a friendly place. My dad built it. This was in a remote area of the Missouri Ozarks. My uncles were building a concrete-block house (more like a garage) and, in this wilderness area of the 1950s, it would be good to have a place of shelter to protect from the rain, wind and bad weather.

This was not a big edifice, just a tar-paper-roof shelter so we could have lunch and a break from the weather-elements.

Two trees were nearby and my dad used those as a "foundation," yes, a temporary "base" to support "the shelter."

These were halcyon days for our family! All was so good! Dad set up posts of logs (for the other side) and framed up the shelter with local, tree stock. And for the roof area he got some lath material at a salvage yard. He covered the gabled roof area with inexpensive tar-paper.

Uncles bought some tarps that could be hung if the weather was contrary. And this is the way I remember it most, the shelter gave protection on various sides by the hanging tarps.

As we arrived at our Ozark property, we would set up the shelter first, with hanging tarps. And an aunt would begin preparing the lunch on a Coleman two-burner gas stove, all within the shelter.

There were two logs to sit on, within the shelter. One on each side of the "table" fabricated by another family member. It was all rustic and basic, just the essentials.

And the meal was so good! Hot dogs or soup or some other simple thing! This was the best part of the day! A meal under the shelter!

Don't we all need and crave shelter from the elements? Yes! And what a blessing it is to have a peaceful and protected place to rest and relax—as the "wind and rain and cold" ... does its thing! We are safe and secure!

The lessons of life are not all so easy. Storms come and go. Sometimes "impossible" situations come up. Difficult times, yes, they come. A shelter from "the storm" is much needed. What to do?

Ha! It isn't difficult! Just a new thought process! We have to think! We have to use our given minds in a new and refreshing way!

What is this all about? In a word, it is orientation. It is direction. It is seeing where we have gone and where we are going. Not "rocket science"!    

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