Wild Fire or Controlled Burn

I like Meryl Streep’s beginning line in the movie Out Of Africa: “I had a farm in Africa.” I even try to speak like her character when I say, “I have a tree farm in Mineola.” Somehow it just doesn’t sound as dramatic. And it’s not. Tree farming is not exhausting work. You’ve heard people say, “That’s as boring as watching a tree grow.” Well tree farming is booooring.

            All one has to do is plant the trees and leave them alone and let them grow. There are very few things to be anxious about when it comes to tree farming. The major concern is fire. You’ve seen what a lightning strike or a careless camper can do to miles of forest and inhabited land in California during dry seasons. Wild fires devastate everything they touch. These fires can destroy millions of dollars’ worth of property and can even claim lives. And you’ve seen on TV just how fast the destruction can be.

            This spring I was told that the tree farm may need to have what the forestry department calls a controlled burn. A fire is intentionally started and is allowed to burn only the underbrush and weeds but not the trees. It is supposed to help the trees grow better but it has to be carefully controlled.

            Believe it or not the Bible has something to say about wild fires and controlled burns. James 3:6 says, “See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.”

            Those unkind or thoughtless words we say strike like lightening causing wild fires destroying lives and putting things in disorder. Those kinds of words are sin and wrong. They’re crippling and deforming. They can get unsuspecting people off track spiritually. Sometimes they are an irremovable charred area in someone’s life. The speaker of those wild words can be in danger too. That speaker is in a direct path to be used by hell’s forces.

            Whew, that makes me want to keep my mouth shut. But I also know the Holy Spirit is sometimes symbolized by fire. Acts 2:1-4 recounts that the Holy Spirit came visibly to the disciples as tongues of fire.  John the Baptist predicted that the Holy Spirit will baptize with fire that will burn up the chaff (unusable weeds) in Matthew 3:11-12. He is our controlled burn. He burns away the choking weeds of sin in our lives so that we can flourish and spread the Gospel with words of blessing. He controls our words with His convicting reminders; if we listen, that is.

            I just pray, “Heavenly Father, shut my mouth when it needs to be shut and open it when it needs to be opened. Lord, perform a controlled burn on my mouth so that out of it comes only what you want said. Don’t let me start wild fires with my words.”

And, finally, here’s a reminder from a famous bear, Smokey Bear.

“Only you can prevent wild fires!”

Amen.

Where Is Your Apron?

           I love my church: Thorington Road Baptist. I am a happy member of its congregation. They even let me participate in any activity in which I care to join. I have a special sister-friend there that tells me activities in which I need or have to join as well. That’s great because she is a ministry stretcher. When I think I’m too busy she tells me I’m not. So I do it.

            Well, one activity that is stretching me now is participating in a women’s event at church. Just let me say that my church doesn’t do anything half-way. If it is called an “event” it is an event! I am part of the decoration team for our women’s event titled, Once Upon an Apron. So now, aprons (which have never taken up much of my mental space) have become a focus.

            Somewhere, somehow it dredged up a memory – Susanna Wesley’s apron. I haven’t thought of that famous 1600's clothing item in a while.

            Who was Susanna Wesley? Well, she was just a mom. She was a mom with many children (19 births) to care for, feed, clean, clothe, etc… Oh, and she took care of the finances of the household because of her frequently absent husband. Oh, she home schooled all of her kids. Oh, she led a prayer/ Bible study meeting at her house with over 200 attendees each week. Oh, and she wrote and was published. Oh, and she studied her Bible and prayed each day.

            Once a pastor asked, “If you could meet anyone from the past or present who would you like to meet?” I answered, “Susanna Wesley,” and he was slightly confused that out of all the famous or infamous people I could pick I would choose her. She was just a mom. But what a mom.

            Now you’re thinking, “What does all of this have to do with an apron?” When Susanna Wesley wanted to get alone with God, away from all the hub-bub of a very busy household she would throw her apron over her head. It was a signal to all of the children that she was talking to God and to leave her alone for a moment. She took a few minutes here and there to shut out everything in order to have a daily relationship with her Lord.

            I’m really embarrassed to say that I have sometimes thought I was too busy for a daily quiet time. I don’t really know too busy compared to Susanna. I have been reminded to find an “apron time” each day.

            In the Bible, James chapter 4 talks about what to do with your day:

Do Daily

1.     Pray with Godly motives vs. 3

2.     Separate yourself from what the world says is important or fun vs. 4

3.     Let the Word of God speak to you vs. 5

4.     Be humble vs. 6

5.     Submit to whatever God want of you vs. 7

6.     Draw near to God vs. 8

     Wow, if we could just make these our daily priorities, we would be apron covered

with the Holy Spirit all day. Remembering Susanna’s apron made me determined to find my “apron place” with God. So for the moment I’m not thinking about the apron decorations for the event. I’m finding my apron, the place where God and I can have some time together each day.

Where is your apron? 

Getting His Masterpiece For The Exhibit

Getting His Masterpiece Ready For the Exhibit

At choir practice tonight our Associate Pastor/Praise and Worship Minister asked us to send a text to him of the name of a song that is a blessing to us right now in our life. I was sitting there in so much conviction over the words of the song we will sing on Sunday that the word “blessing” didn’t quite come to mind. I was thinking, “I only have three days to get my life fixed so I can sing this song.” And I wasn’t sure three days was enough time.

Here are some of the words of the song:
     Make me Your masterpiece;
     Lord, put me on display,
     That I may ever be
     A picture of Your Grace.

Here is the picture I had on display today:
1. Worry over my health
2  Impatience with slow drivers
3  Frustration about not getting my way
4. Unmentionable words when I tripped, dropped my bags of shopping, and scrapped my heel
    (Luckily I was alone in the garage and wasn’t on display to the world)
5. Anger at being interrupted while trying to work

This isn’t the type of masterpiece I want on display. But it sure was today’s painting. I don’t think I was a blessing to anyone, not even to myself. And, wow, I realized that I am on display 24/7. I can be His masterpiece or my own scribbled mess.

Philippians 3:10 and 12 shows us how our mess can be corrected into His masterpiece ready to be exhibited to the world. This shows the picture of Grace given to us through Christ.
     “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…Not that I have already obtained it (whew, there’s hope for me), or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” Or, in my words, “I want to absolutely know all about Christ and the dynamite power He gave me through the Holy Spirit. I am not finished becoming what Christ will make perfect in my life. It will take the rest of my life to be completed. But I’m going to grab everything I can of the Christlife and not let go. Because Christ is holding me and He won’t let go.”

I want to make my life a picture of what God can do with a sinner. I might not be perfect but I am becoming a masterpiece. The painting might not be perfect ...yet ... but it’s getting there. And it’s all because of the grace Christ purchased for me. He’s making the masterpiece if I don’t take the brush out of His hands. My job is not to be the painter but to be the canvas.

Then I realized that He has blessed me with this song. It is a chance to give the brush back to the painter. It’s a chance to become the masterpiece He had in mind all of the time. I might not have this all corrected in three days but He’ll complete it in His time.

And now some more of the song:
          His glory, His honor, His goodness, His kindness,
          His mercy, His forgiveness, His love, and His power:
          That’s what I want my life to be all about.
          Make me His masterpiece, a picture of His grace.

My prayer is that when His masterpiece of me is finished it will bear a striking resemblance of Christ.