Light the Fire

Light the fire,
in our souls.
Fan the flame.
Make us whole.
Lord you know,
Where we've been.
So light the fire, in our hearts, again.

I leave this evening to go on an Emmaus walk as a table leader. October has been rushed - busy -- one project after another that has needed attention, one report, one meeting, one chore after another that needed attention. I don't regret any of it; I have been blessed beyong measure to have been involved in what I have been doing in October. My time management style, though, is often to deal with that item which is bellowing with the loudest deadline first. Work gets done, but it does mean, that this walk, which is the last October item on the agenda, gets attention last.

I've been moving closer to the walk this week, and feeling less and less prepared. I've had this feeling that there should have been more that I did to create a receptive heart and a willing spirit for the walk. There has been no time.

Last night, though, I received three gifts in my email -- an advent devotional from a 14 year old youth in church that reminded me, with stunning grace and clarity, that God is real. He is present, he is listening, he responds to our needs, and his way is full of grace. This young man knows that, and his devotional was God's light to me, reminding me. Secondly and thirdly, I received in my email the drafts of two blog posts. While I am gone, JtM (Friday) and Steve the husband (Saturday) will be guest blogging. I'm not going to "spill the beans" about what they are going to share with you (you will be wonderfully blessed by their posts), but both of them reminded me that God will complete for us what is missing, and that what is required of us is to give it all to God.

I'm listening. I realize now that it not what I do that will prepare me for this walk. It is what God is waiting to do for me. So, I give it to him, and pray that he will "Light the fire in my soul. Fan the flame, make us whole." And I go on this walk knowing that he has already done it.

Image: Matt's Asbury Woods fire - symbolic of the fire he shows all of us.