Words to Love: The Story of a Mantel
In our kitchen, we have an open flame propane heater for the winter. It is framed by a mantel as, at one point, it used to be a wood burning fireplace. As is historically correct, this mantel is the focal point in our house. And, as a focal point, we use it for displaying much of our seasonal decorations.
My mother had always helmed the mantel decorations. She enjoyed it immensely. And she always did such a lovely job of it, too. Seashells and urchins and sand dollars and lighthouses for the summer; gourds and wooden candlesticks and copper and wood ornaments for the fall; a triumphant feat of engineering for the winter with reindeers and sleights and Santas and plaids and the like…well, dear reader, you get the idea.
When mom stepped into glory in October, I was faced with a mantel that I now had to decorate. For Christmas, I copied what she had done the year before as best I could. It looked very well, and I felt rather close to her as I put up all the little ornaments and decorations she cherished so much.
After Christmas, I didn’t really do anything special. Honestly, I think I just stuck a pretty vase and a candle up there. I didn’t pay much attention as I was in the final stages of my pregnancy and then in the throes of being a new mama again. I had more important things to occupy me.
But at the end of April, I was charged, as matron of honor, to throw a bridal shower for my new sister in law at my home. This meant that I needed to decorate that mantel. However, being that the bridal shower had a literary theme, and being that God cares about even the most small and seemingly silly details that concern us, an idea presented itself with very little difficulty.
Since our home is architecturally modern, our mantel reflects that style with simple lines. The idea I lighted upon was to use books for decoration. As I wrote about in Through the Wardrobe: The Book Nook, I have the privilege of a generational library filled with old books that display beautifully. It was these books coupled with Easten Press editions that I used to create a beautific literary landscape throughout my home. Then, because my sister in law is a great lover of the classics, I decided to mock up a dozen 4x4 frames with wonderful quotes from some of literature’s greatest contributors and Katelin’s particular favorites: F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, et cetera. The color scheme was amethyst, so I had the quotes printed on lavender backgrounds in a Courier font to mimic a typewriter. Then I affixed each 4x4 frame with command strips to the sides and front of the mantel. It captured the romance of the occasion to perfection.
I loved this mantel design so much, I kept it up for months after the wedding.
But then the 4th of July began to creep up. We were having people over for a bar-be-que and backyard fireworks. And I wanted to decorate the mantel to go with the holiday like mom would have done. Only, I didn’t know how mom would have done it. She changed it every year. And as her health had begun to decline last year just before the 4th, we hadn’t decorated last year. And I couldn’t remember the year before. So copying any of her ideas was out.
It’s funny how grief can find its home in moments like this. Seemingly insignificant and largely unimportant to anyone else, but that mantel had me missing both my mother AND my father, since he was the resident artist and interior decorator during his life.
One thing I knew. I was keeping the quotes. I would replace the romantic ones with quotations about the founding of this nation and the quest for her liberty. For those of you who have been here at Whiskers on Kittens for some time, you may recall how near and dear this topic is to my heart from posts such as The Quest for Liberty, Books to Love: Ladies of Liberty, and The Hero of Two Worlds.
But what would go on top of the mantel shelf? The conundrum really troubled me. Just throwing up some stars and flags and the like wasn’t going to cut it. After all, I had some big shoes to fill. My mother always did fantastic mantels. And my father was a connoisseur of beautiful, artful design. I wanted something tasteful and creative. I didn’t realize it then, but I wanted something that checked all the boxes for the holiday but also paid homage to my artistic heritage. And, with no idea in mind, that felt like an impossibly tall order to fill.
So, I went to Hobby Lobby. And lo and behold, I found one item that got the creative juices flowing. Blue star pillar candle holders that had a real modern vibe. On to the floral department where I ended up holding stems of cotton and chewing on my tongue as I considered what I could do with them. It was here that my heart was pierced with a shard of sorrow and then healed with a bout of laughter; suddenly I recalled the plethora of shopping trips I had made with my dad in my life where he would be thinking of how to use some decoration or cool item. Yep, I was having a true Bob moment, chewing on my tongue just like he used to, too.
I found myself talking to the Lord about those springs of cotton and asking how they could be used. How could I display them, I asked, and almost immediately, I remembered a vase that we had and even where it was stored away. As I hadn’t used it in years and years, I knew remembering it at that exact moment was a wink from God, as mom used to say. And then I located some red gladiolas to mix with it to bring the patriotic red, white, and blue together.
I returned home and assembled everything in relatively short order. Dear readers, I love my mantel. It is exactly the desire of my heart. And when I look at it, I see both influences of my mother and my father. But, what surprised me the most is how much of myself I saw there, too.
The irony that this realization came to me while tackling my mantel has not escaped me. When speaking of mantels/mantles, I always think back to the scriptures in 1 King 19 when the prophet Elijah transfers him mantle onto Elisha, a picture of succession. Elisha doesn’t immediately step into the roll of the prophet, but travels with Elijah, gleaning and learning from him. But when Elijah is caught away in the fiery chariot to heaven, his mantle falls fully upon Elisha and he steps into a double portion of prophetic gifting. A passing of the torch, if you will.
“And the Lord said to him (Elijah), Go, return to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael to be king of Syria. And anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah to be prophet in your place… So Elijah left and found Elisha son of Shaphat, whose plowing was being done with twelve yolk of oxen, and he drove the twelfth. Elijah crossed over to him and cast his mantle upon him.”
Mantle and Mantel are the same word. Mantle is the modern spelling of mantel. The only place in modern culture where mantel is still used is architecturally. But, they come from the same Latin root: mantellum. Mantellum’s meaning encompasses cloak, cloth, or napkin. Mantellum derives from the Latin word manus which means hand, presenting a picture of a hand covering or shielding something. I like to think of how God’s hand covers us with favor and purpose.
“You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness you follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past. With your hand of love upon my life, you impart a blessing to me. ”
The mantel of a fireplace has a specific role: to cover and shield and direct. The mantel is an architectural feature that specifically shields the rest of the house from the fire itself. But, it also protects the fire and directs its heat into the room.
Looking at my mantel now, seeing both my father and mother’s influences so clearly expressed, is a picture of how their mantle has now passed on to me. But, it’s not just that I can emulate their gifting for decorating. No. That mantel is a demonstration of standing on the shoulders of my parents and stepping fully into myself. Taking the wisdom they had and adding to it the unique aspect that only I can bring. That part that they nurtured and helped to bring out in me.
“Dedicate your children to God and point them in the way they should go, and the values they’ve learned from you will be with them for life.”
Sure. Sure. It’s just a mantel. But when Elijah threw his cloak over Elisha’s shoulders in that field was it just an old man throwing a piece of fabric over a younger man’s shoulders? No. It was so much more.
The mantle my parents covered me with the whole of my childhood has now passed on to me. The wisdom, the teachings, the beliefs, the right living they demonstrated during their life and during my rearing is now mine to guard and shield, much like a mantel covers the fire to protect the flames and direct their heat. Just like with Elijah and Elisha, a mantle is a gift; a heavy one.
“Children, if you want to be wise, listen to your parents and do what they tell you, and the Lord will help you… Fathers, don’t exasperate your children, but raise them up in loving discipline and counsel that brings the revelation of our Lord.”
Looking at the mantel in my kitchen, the focal point of the house, I am reminded of how much my parents truly passed down to me. Their legacy is priceless. My heritage is so very rich. And now I am entrusted to pass this pearl of great price on to my children. The mantle to carry. The mantel to cover.
“Remember what you were taught from your childhood from the Holy Scrolls (sacred Scriptures) which can impart to you wisdom to experience everlasting life through the faith of Jesus, the Anointed One! Every scripture has been inspired by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper in the path of godliness. ”
I have derived so much comfort from doing my mantel. When I look at it, I have to smile. Not because it looks so fabulous, but because the Comforter met me in a moment of grief, lifted me out of my sorrow, and not only gave me the mantel my heart desired, but also gave me such an intimate download of understanding about my parents’ legacy and my heritage that eased the heartache of their absence.
“Some people will say, ‘I don’t hear God’s voice, but I sense His peace.’ That is His voice. Remember, He is the Word of God, so when He is acknowledged or recognized in any way, He has spoken. Our problem is we only want to hear Him speak in English, when sometimes He is speaking to our hearts in a way we don’t initially recognize because we can’t repeat what He said. Sometimes He speaks to our spirit, and it may take time to recognize the meaning of the moment. To me, this is wonderful. Because it means He is always speaking. ”
He is always speaking. Even better, He’s speaking to you in a tailor-made, personal, intimate way that only you can hear. So, whatever you may find yourself navigating today, take a moment to quiet yourself a listen for His voice. He promised, if you keep on asking, what you’re asking for you will receive. Ask to hear Him and you will.
An in-depth look into the majesty of what has become a Christmas classic: Handel’s Messiah.