the campfire

why is fire so interesting to watch?

last week we went on a short camping trip. the first night there, we lit a fire. both michael and i enjoy watching a campfire, as many do. its mesmerizing. its hypnotic. its calming. the fire is never predictible, but its consistent. as long as there is fuel to burn, it will burn on.

josiah also loves fires. his idea of fun is to find a piece of grass or a piece of paper and toss it in and watch the fire burn it up immediately. if paper, grass or twigs are unavaiable, he has been known to throw dirt or rocks into the fire, just to see if they will burn.

there are many ways fire can be related to our christian walk, more than i could possibly write about here. the thot that came to me as i was staring into the campfire that night was what kind of fuel am i burning as a follower of the Lord? the quick, small bursts of flames that were produced by what joe would throw in or the long-lasting logs that kept the fire burning for hours? one gives a quick burst of flame, but is quickly gone, the other may take longer to catch on fire but once it does it burns long, and hot.

unfortunately, i feel that alot of times in my christian walk i burn hot and fast, and peeter out soon after. whether its a discipline of daily reading my Bible, or being patient with my son. instead i want to be the long burning fire, the consistent, reliable, warmning fire that makes others want to stop and stare for awhile at the flames.