Ablaze

In the first church I attended as a self identifying Christian much store was placed on "being on fire for the Lord" by which was meant not so much the usual medieval punishment for heretics, as a state of constant glittery eyed enthusiasm for converting people. Which of course, I tried to effect, especially if anybody from the church was watching. It never did much good, neither for me nor for anyone else.

What I had not noticed, of course that the firewood never sets itself on fire. It waits for someone else to do that. And it generally waits a long time. I've cut a lot of the stuff lately. A gum tree was felled in the reserve beside our place and I've been processing it. The tree grew for about 40 years, and then waited a year after falling for me to chop it up, and it will wait another year or two before it gets its moment of glory in our wood burner. Then it will have about half an hour of being on fire for Kelvin. I think the proportions are about right.

What we are called to do is to consent. To allow ourselves to be made ready. The one who loves us will make of us what the Spirit knows we can be, and in good time will use us or not as the Spirit sees fit. Our own bustling and pretending will never amount to anything, and will only get in the way.

Comments

MIchael Godfrey said…

I hope so. I was never much good at it. Once someone told me that I was respoinsible for her conversion but as far as I could see it never stuck. Half a notch on a spiritual belt, maybe? Or a notch puttied back up again. And yet ... and yet ... the divine love seems to continue.

20 December 2018 at 20:01

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