The Story Behind The Song | Crooked Nail Cabin

In Week 2 of The Story Behind The Song, Ray shares the inspiration behind Crooked Nail Cabin, a place tucked away in the Kentucky hills where fathers, sons, and men gather to step away from the distractions of life and focus on God, His creation, and each other.

More than a song about a cabin, this episode explores the importance of godly friendships, intentional discipleship, and building a legacy that rests on a firm foundation—God's Word.

Because sometimes the places that shape us most aren't built with wood and nails, but with faith, fellowship, and the investment of one generation into the next.

We'd love to hear from you -- email us at ListenToShoesOff@gmail.com

Transcript

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Welcome to Shoes Off, a weekly podcast where we pause, take off what weighs us down, and take a step onto holy ground.

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Hey, welcome back to Shoes Off. There are certain places in life that leave a mark on you. Not because of just the buildings, not because of just the scenery, but because of what happened there. If you think back, you probably have vacations or places where you went where places like that have left a mark on you. And for me, one of those places is a place called Crooked Nail Cabin. Now, this place is tucked away in the hills of Kentucky, far away from the noise and distractions of everyday life. Actually, there's no cell phone signal. If you go there, um, there's no notifications, there's no Xbox games, there's no endless schedules. What is there is just God's creation. And we're men of God gather. And while today there is a small cabin standing there, there was a time when there wasn't even that. There was men that stayed in tents, some stayed in an old bus. Nobody came for comfort, but what they came for was something deeper. So the story behind this song, this song was inspired by a place where there's been generations of fathers and sons and men that have gathered to grow together at this place called Crooked Nell Cabin. And when I think about this place, I don't immediately think about the building itself. I think about the campfires that we had, the conversations, the prayers, uh, worship. We would, you know, bring guitars out and sit around the campfire. We would hike the railroad tracks and old trails where they took down trees. And we also opened God's Word together. I think about those young boys that became men, and I think about the fathers being intentional about spending that time with their sons. And then I also think about the older men pouring wisdom into younger men. One of those men is my father-in-law, Dwayne, and I dedicate this podcast and this song to him because he is just a great example and a mentor of what it means for us to pour into young men. And Dwayne built a cabin, and the cabin became a symbol of really something much bigger. It was a place where discipleship happens. And I think about Proverbs 27 and 17, where it says, as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. And I think that's one of the greatest gifts that God gives us is other believers who help shape us into the people he created us to become. You know, men need other godly men. One of the biggest lies in our culture is that strength means independence or being alone. But scripture paints a different picture for us. God never intended for us as men to walk alone. Throughout the Bible, we see these types of relationships. We saw Moses and Joshua, we see Elijah and Elisha, Paul and Timothy. And faith grows in community of men. Wisdom grows in relationships, and character grows when we're challenged by other believers. And I think God, and even in his creation, points us towards the Creator. I mean, one thing that makes Crooked Hill Cabin so special is how simple it is. You're surrounded by mountains, trees, stars, fresh air, and suddenly all the things that seemed urgent back home doesn't seem quite as important as when you're there just enjoying God's nature. You know, Psalm 19 and 1 says, The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands. And sometimes God speaks the loudest when we finally get quiet enough to listen. And Crookonell Cabin is one of those places. The other thought I had was building men takes intentional effort. I mean, the song talks about um swinging an axe and carrying the sword. And when I wrote that, it was that imagery of these young boys that sometimes they they've never even swung an axe before. And they get to go down there and just let boys be boys and become a man. But also when we open the word of God, they're not just swinging an axe, they're learning how to carry that sword. And I love that imagery because becoming a godly man requires both. The axe could represent maybe work, the sword obviously represents God's word, and in life we need both as men. Work ethic alone doesn't build our character, knowledge alone doesn't build our character. But godly men are built when faith is lived out in our daily life. Ephesians 6 and 17 says, take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and that's the strongest foundation that any man can build on is God's Word. And I guess my last thought I would like to leave with you about this song is legacy is more than what you just leave behind. The bridge is probably one of my favorite parts of this song. It says the roots that have grown here are deeper than just me. And that's powerful because real legacy isn't really the land that's there. It's not the property, it's not the buildings, it's not the possessions. It's the people. And the greatest thing we pass on to the next generation is faith and how we lived our life and that testimony. Psalms 145 and 4 says, one generation shall commend your works to another. And that's exactly what happens at places like Crooked Nell Cabin. One generation telling the next generation about God's faithfulness. So when I think about Crooked Nell Cabin, I don't think about a structure in the woods. I think about the conversations with Dwayne and many of the men that I met down there. I'll just never forget lessons learned around the campfires, the laughs, the enjoyment that we had, the men that invested in boys who have now probably grown and have their own men, fathers who were intentional, and moments where God felt really near. And that cabin may stand on a Kentucky hillside where Milton and his family grew up and and planted even rows of corn on that hillside. But what it's really standing on is exactly what the song says. It's a firm foundation on God's word. And here's how I would challenge you with this this week. Ask yourself, who is helping sharpen your faith? And equally important, who are you helping sharpen their faith? Look for one opportunity this week to be intentional and invest in someone else spiritually. Maybe it's a son, a friend, a young believer, a family member, because faith was never meant to stop with us. And as you listen to this song, it's a song about what happens when men step away from the noise, open God's word, and intentionally helps the next generation follow Jesus. Now, this is a little bluegrassy and uh just goes right with where this place is located. So hopefully, uh as you enjoy this song, just think about those moments and think about maybe where God's leading you. Thank you, Dwayne, for Crooked Nell Cabin, and thanks for all the men who invested in it. Enjoy.