fire

Walking Through the Fire

/ The WheatandTares / 4 Comments

Talking with a friend the other day she said, “We’ve been walking through the fire together, haven’t we?” My first thought was my fire is a small kindled ember compared to her recent turmoil, but the statement brought with it two kindred hearts and souls.

A mentor of mine once said to me:

You always need someone ahead of you in the journey to help you navigate the next steps, as they’ve been there and can help to give wisdom, challenge, reproof, and strength.

You always need someone beside you on this passage of life to link arms with, to uplift, to cry together, and to fight together.

You always need someone coming behind you into whom you can pour love, encouragement, guidance, and provide some shelter from the storm.

If you find all three, you can count yourself blessed.

If you cherish and nurture all three, you will be a better person for it.

If you seek all three, you’ll find you will forget more about your own problems and become a wounded healer, helping others across the broken bridges and rocky roads of this life.

And you’ll be receiving healing, affirmation, and compassion in the meantime.

So that even if you’re walking through the fire, you have a sister (or brother, for you guys) spirit joined with you to share in the heat and pain.

I am eternally beholden to my fire walkers who are blazing the path before me, showing me it can be done.

I am so grateful for those who are fire starters for whom I am able to spread the ashes to give some respite.

And I’m especially thankful for those right now who’s feet are as scorched as mine.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

Isaiah 43:1b-3

Friday Fun Day

/ The WheatandTares / 13 Comments

It’s finally feeling like Fall around here!

How about you?

We built a campfire in our fire pit the other night, and it was amazing! I love to watch the fire “breathe” beneath the logs. It wasn’t even a huge fire, but the flames blue and sweltering hot.

It’s just another reminder of how amazing my God is. He creates something so beautiful and dangerous and comforting, even healing at times. His creation is always amazing me.

How about you?

What do you love about the Fall and this time of year?

Be the Fire

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

No one said this life would be fair. No one said you’d always walk along a path of daisies and roses. Sometimes, life just stinks, and you have to live through the pain and agony it presents.

Sometimes, this life is going to be set on fire, and you’ve got to decide whether you’re going to grab a bucket and put out the flames , stand your ground and walk through the blaze, or lie down and become the ashes. The choice is yours, and no one can make that choice for you.

You can be destroyed in the fire, or you can allow it to refine you, strengthen you and teach you. If you decide to lie down and allow it to consume, you must know that your life may not be the only one that is devoured. There may be children, grandchildren, friends and family who are devoured. Often, we do not realize, we stand as a shield for those coming behind.

If you choose to walk through, the road may not be easy, and it may get hotter and more strenuous before it gets better, but there is One who promises you will not be diminished from the inferno.

His name is Jesus.

And He loves you.

With God by your side, the flames may lick at your being, and the temperatures may rise beyond comfortable, but YOU WILL MAKE IT. He will walk beside you. He will guide you, and when needed, He will carry you.

Give Him a chance. He will not disappoint. He is able. He is faithful. He is true, and His promises are unbreakable… inflammable… and even in-consumable.

When you choose to walk through the flames with Him, you become resilient to the wildfires. You become a pillar of stone that cannot be singed. You become the firefighter who rescues others from the flames.

Fear or Fire?

/ The WheatandTares

When troubles come, what do you do? Do you cower, shivering in fear? Do run away and hide? Do you stand, paralyzed by indecision and doubt? Do you run to the flames, ready to encounter what comes?

How you endure the heat will often times dictate who you become when the embers cool. What wisdom you to use to conclude your decisions will often determine your promotion or your failure. The whys of your choices will always impact those who follow.

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5

Will You Fan The Flame?

/ The WheatandTares / 6 Comments

I was reminded the other day of an analogy I shared with youth camp workers many years ago, and I thought I’d reshare it with you today…

In every situation, you hold in your hands water and gasoline. The one you choose will determine the outcome of the given situation.

For instance, if you find yourself in the middle of a gossip situation, and you’re wondering what you should do, you have a choice. You can pour gasoline on the flames to fuel the stories, or you can pour water to put them out.

If your child comes running to you in fear, whether it be a dramatized fantasy or a realistic paranoia, what you do in that next moment matters. Sometimes, it will determine the growth of courage or a lasting lifetime fear. Do you throw the gasoline or water?

If your co-worker is infuriated with your boss because of a legitimate injustice being served, what do you do? You hold water and gasoline within your power.

If your friend is in desperate need of a life change. Maybe you know Christ, but you’ve been a little intimidated by their rejection of this saving grace. You know what peace you have found in your moments of fear, of anger and of brokenness; yet, you’ve hesitated to share your story. You hold water and gasoline within your grasp. Which will you choose??

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

Fire Vision

/ The WheatandTares

What do you see when you see fire? 

Do you see this evil and all kinds of danger?


Do you see dancing and fun times?


Maybe you just see a whirlwind of emotion and thought…                          

Do you simply see a light to brighten your path along the way?

…or a spark to ignite your passion?

…or maybe a flash of hope in a darkened world?

 What do you see?

Let the Fire Burn

/ The WheatandTares

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Sometimes, you just have to let the fire burn…

When farmers are “cleaning up” the soil in their field, in order to plant more seed, they will often burn the tares, left from harvest, along with what is left in the field. When the forestry wants to control wildfires before summer sets in, many times, they will set a fire to burn off the underbrush. Even when a chef wants to purify and clean his cooking grill, often, he will set a heated flame higher in order to decontaminate his preparation surface.

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Sometimes, you need to let the flames get hotter…

When a relationship has reached a heightened state of anger, and things can’t be resolved, you have to let the flames of anger burn and walk away for a bit. This doesn’t mean you keep throwing words and actions toward the other party; it means you let the embers burn for a bit while you step back from it. The fires will eventually die down when you stop fueling them; then, you’ll be able to see more clearly.   Sometimes, you just have to let the flame burn, or you will be harmed in the process as you work so hard to contain them within your grasp. 

Serving God needs the same process, except when you let the fire of God burn within you, it will have the opposite effect. The fire of God has a lasting effect. The fire of God is all consuming. When you let the fire of God consume you, you will find “the field” of your heart tilled for seeds to be planted, you will find “the forest” of your mind cleared of clutter and confusion, and you will find “the surface” of your soul purified and ready for what God has in store for your life. When you let the fire of God burn deep with your soul, you will find you have a cleansed vision, renewed mind and a changed heart. When you let the fire of God burn within, you will find a deeper desire for more. 

It will challenge you. 

It will transform you. 

It will consume you. 

Try it. 

Let it burn.