Hammer Down Mode

Carl and I just spent a few days in full “hammer down” mode at Epiphany Ranch. The barndominium -- better known as the lodge -- is nearly complete, and let me tell you, it’s looking mighty fine.

We drove the 3½ hours to Alto, TX, rolled up our sleeves, and grabbed brooms, rags, and dustpans. Payton, Ryland, Larry, and Staci were hauling furniture and wrangling with a giant interactive whiteboard that can do everything but make coffee (though I wouldn’t put it past it).

Meanwhile, Carl and I cleaned surfaces and cheered on those brave souls installing speakers in 40-foot ceilings. Lord have mercy -- my neck hurt just watching them.

That’s what “hammer down” looks like. No sidelines, no excuses, no “someday I’ll get around to it.” It’s all hands on deck. Pedal to the metal. Work until the job is done.

But here’s the thing: hammer down is not the permanent goal. God built balance into creation itself. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). There’s a time to build, but also a time to rest. A time to sow, and a time to reap (Genesis 8:22).

The point of hammering nails, lifting furniture, and installing gadgets is not the work itself -- it’s the people who will walk through those doors. People who will find solace, peace, refreshment, and maybe a new vision for their lives. That’s the harvest after the hammering.

Sometimes we need “hammer down” to finish what we’ve started. Other times, we need to put the hammer away, pull up a chair, and simply be still. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

So yes, there are seasons to press in, to sweat, to work hard. But let’s not forget the balance -- seedtime and harvest, labor and laughter, hammer down and hands lifted in worship.

When the doors of Epiphany Ranch swing open, may it be more than a building. May it be a place where weary hearts are rebuilt, just as surely as those walls and beams were.