A PIECE OF MY HEART
1 CHRONICLES 22:19 "Now determine in your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God."
BURNING FIRE
This past weekend, our family gathered at our house for a good 'ole fashion bbq in our backyard. We grilled the traditional hamburgers and bratwursts (something folks in the south do not know about)(they obviously don't know what they are missing!)
The weather was so lovely here in the south that we all sat out in the backyard and ate. It was a great family time. Shortly after we ate, we all sat around our outside firepit. (it's GREAT! it is like camping in your backyard!) We broke out the marshmellows, and roasted marshmellows and made smores. What great fun!
We
sat around the fire probably a couple of hours; building the fire, stoking it and allowing the flames to relax us. There is nothing more comforting and relaxing to me as sitting around a good campfire!
sat around the fire probably a couple of hours; building the fire, stoking it and allowing the flames to relax us. There is nothing more comforting and relaxing to me as sitting around a good campfire!Building and stoking the fire took some effort. At one point, we sent our 12 year old daughter to the front yard to gather some sticks. She went running with a bucket and came back with several sticks in the bucket, 
but what a hilarious sight to see her dragging a huge branch! She was bound to keep that fire going!
but what a hilarious sight to see her dragging a huge branch! She was bound to keep that fire going! Sitting around this fire reminded me of the effort that each of us as christians need to make to keep the fire burning within us. If we don't stoke the fire (grow in Gods Word and truth) we will become like an unattended burning fire...
...we will burn out!
...we will dry up!
...we will become useless!
The feeling of peace and comfort that settled over me as I sat around that campfire is the same kind of feeling that Gods fire (the Holy Spirit) offers to us each and every day. It is in the "fire" that often times we feel and see God's presence.
DANIEL 3:15b "But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"
Let each of us not allow the spiritual fire die out. If you look very carefully, like King Nebuchadnezzar did...YOU WILL SEE THE FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE!
and that's a piece of my heart today,
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Blessings, Laurie
I can so see my 12 year old daughter dragging a huge branch over to keep the fire stoked too! Must be that she was enjoying her family so much she didn't want the fire dying out and the fun to end. What great memories!
ReplyDeleteAnd they didn't even smell like smoke! Unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteCute word picture of your daugher draggin the branch. Just how big was it?
Ha Ha!