Our first encounter with a windmill was memorable. We were in the Netherlands visiting The Hague temple and this huge windmill is only a five minute walk away. It happens to be open for visitors only on Saturdays until 4:00pm. We thought it was worth a walk under blue skies in the sub-freezing fresh air and made a visit. (Did we mention there was a bakery on the path that led to the windmill as an added attraction?) This windmill was built over 120 years ago though a working windmill has been on this site since the 12th century. This windmill is used for grinding the various grains available in Europe and not just wheat.
We went inside the windmill and up several flights of wooden stairs that were more like a ladder than a building code worthy stairway. The rungs/steps were only 4 inches wide and slippery with flour dust. The handrails were a welcome addition even for the younger people on the tour. The whole grains are pumped upwards a few flights and then dumped into a hopper which distributes the grains through the grinding stones below. The ground flour pours into waiting bags another flight lower. We watched the wooden cogs move the rotating grinding stones powered by the wind resistance against the 20 foot long sails outside. We could hear the varying speeds of the grind stones and knew the winds were not always blowing with the same force.
Outside the windmill, the four sails are made of a wooden lattice work covered with fabric. The miller can add more fabric or take away fabric depending on how much wind resistance is needed to grind the grains to the desired consistency. The more fabric on the sails the more wind resistance is harnessed to produce a faster spinning of the grinding stones which produces a finer flour. The miller can also rotate the huge sails outside to capture more or less wind resistance through a system of locks and cables and pulleys adjusted by a huge wheel that resembles the multi-handled steering wheel seen at a ship’s
helm. If needed, the miller can step on the steering wheel giving even more weight than just arm strength to rotate the blades.
In short: the less wind resistance makes for a slower grinding stone and produces a more coarsely ground flour to be used in every day breads and cereals. The more wind resistance makes for faster grinding stones and produces more finely ground flour to be used in more delicate pastries.
The Hague Temple was our primary destination for the weekend. We went with the goal of remembering covenants we had made earlier and to perform ordinances for our loved ones that are watching from the other side of the veil. The spirit felt in the temple is warm and comfortable and welcoming. Those working there are kind and helpful and careful to be sure the ordinances are performed correctly. The temple is beautiful outside with flowers surviving the frigid temperatures and green grass surrounding the building and fountains and parking. The temple is actually below sea level like a good portion of the Netherlands.
Upon reflection on the weekend visits to both buildings, it seems that one building grinds and the other refines that which enters. In both cases, the more resistance produces a more delicate and usable product or person for the purposes intended. The challenges we all face in the course of life, produce varying degrees of resistance that can refine the human soul. The Miller in charge knows how much wind and the direction of the sails that will produce the needed degree of refinement for His purposes. We might be grateful for winds and fast moving grinding stones that will produce a more refined product in time.