Reflections By The Fire

At this moment (2:32am), I am sitting next to the fireplace in my living room, laptop, well exactly where it is supposed to be according to it's name-on my lap. I have always been fascinated by fires that burn in a fireplace. I grew up in two homes during my childhood that had fireplaces. Not only does a fire provide warmth, to me it also provides a sense of comfort. No matter what stress is taking place in life, I can sit next to a fire and all seems right with the world. Sometimes I will read a book next to the fireplace, or sometimes just simply sit and stare as the flames rise, and the wood crackles.

As I was watching the fire tonight, a thought came over me. Life is kinda like a fire. We as humans are born into this world, thanks to God's craftsmanship, only when the right ingredients are in place. The same is true for a fire. To make a fire, you need the right ingredients, such as wood, a spark, oxygen and so on. Without all the ingredients in place, a fire will never start. A good example of this is in the movie Castaway starring Tom Hanks. In the film, after the plane he is traveling in crashes, he finds himself stranded and utterly alone on a remote island. He attempts to make a fire in order to cook his food, as well as stay warm. Several minutes go by in the film where he attempts to start a fire. He has some wood, and is rubbing sticks together in hopes to spark the fire to start, but all he sees is some smoke rising. He knows he is so close to starting a fire, yet try as he may, it won't start. Finally he realizes he needs oxygen in the mix in order for the fire to start. It's the same with us humans. In order to come into existence, we need the right ingredients, especially the key ingredient oxygen. Without it, we are not brought to life, or allowed to live and thrive. The same is applied in the case of starting and maintaining a fire. The amazing thing about a fire is just when you think it's about to burn out, you can stoke the fire by simply using the poker, and it will come back to life.

I can relate to this in my personal experience with life. There have been times of despair when I felt all hope was lost in life, or when I have lost hope and faith in God. But just as soon as I begin to do so, God puts forth the things in my life (sometimes I don't realize it till much later), let's call them the ingredients, that begin to give me hope in life, and faith in Him. So in a sense, God stokes the fire inside of me, and ignites my hope, thus reaffirming my faith.

I once had a man tell me, you can step out of the will of God, but never out of the love of God. Out of all of the sermons I have heard, churches I have attended, times I have been burned or let down by other believers, these are the words that have stayed with me, and meant the most to me. They are the words that remind me that God does love us, no matter how much we screw up, rebel, curse Him, damage our own bodies, and so on. It also reminds me that God, and belief and faith in God, go way beyond the religious rituals that exist in the world that are human made. I can understand why people turn away from God, or become angry at a church. Sometimes while the right intentions may be meant , the real focus and purpose can be lost. This is something I have experienced personally in my faith as well.

I encourage you all if you get a chance, to take the time to simply sit by a fire and reflect. Life can be so busy and stressful, that sometimes we lose sight of ourselves, and what life is really all about. Even if you aren't able to sit by a fire, take a walk through your neighborhood and reflect on life, and the goodness that exists around us. Sometimes we simply just need to take the time to stop, reflect, relax, and take in the simple, quiet moments of life.

Until next time...stay stoked!

-Nick