Flaming June

It’s such a lovely time of year. Flaming June has actually been warm so far, some days, which is such a blessing. We’ve got the veggie patch dug and Don has dug in the local farmer’s cow manure and he’s planted potatoes. Today I found a place for a row of carrots and planted a couple rows of very tiny seedling lettuce.

It all looks great, the rows darkened by the water I carefully drizzled over the fledgling plants.

In a few weeks time, whether or not flaming June continues to flame, it will be transformed. Not only will the carrots and lettuce have grown, hopefully: unless I am vigilant, they will be obscured by a jungle of weeds.

I’ve come back from Cherish bubbling with ideas and challenges, inspired and ready to live life on the edge for Jesus. My desire is like those fledgling lettuce, fragile and delicate, but bolstered by Jesus’ strength flowing through me I know it’s possible for the desire to grow stronger and bigger and give nourishment to others. It doesn’t need to get lost in a jungle of activity.

Fan into flame, whether it’s June or not...

Dying Embers

Spent the last half hour trying to revive a dying fire. It’s a lot of work and still touch and go whether or not it will catch. The wood is smouldering. Some bits of coal look hopefully red. But it’s not hot enough even to set the paper alight. I don’t see many signs of life.

It reminds me of Paul writing to Timothy, advising him to fan into flame his faith in God. It’s easy to get distracted. To grow cool. To be content with the glowing embers rather than craving the crackling flames. Then, when the winds of the world blow cold on us and we long for the warmth of God’s love, we find ourselves distanced from him. He hasn’t moved, but we have allowed the fire of our love to grow dim.

In Jesus’ letters to the churches in Revelation which John records, he advises that we remember our first love (for him) and get back to that state of passion and excitement. We can allow ourselves to settle for embers when we should be fanning them into flames. 

If we want God to set the world on fire (in a good way!), we need to be giving him everything we have so he can work through us. 

Not sure this fire is going to get going before I decide to just go to bed. I am sure that with God’s help my love for him is going to carry on burning strong.