Yesterday I was rambling on the social network I love to ramble on most, about picking up sticks in my yard from the previous night’s big thunderstorm. I said “w A friend liked the part about the bonfire and quoted me. I laughed and joked about being quoted but really learned something. Sometimes we just stumble into those profound and teachable moments, when you are being snarky and God is being serious with you.
Jesus used parables to teach the people, so simple minded people like me could learn from our own experiences. I really don’t know about tending sheep or vineyards, but I do know about my prayer dog Millie and the comfort of a bonfire, things experiential to me and other dog lovers or pyromaniacs. I awoke this morning with my newfound parable on my mind and knew God was schooling me again. I have been to many healing services where burning of a bad memory or burning a sin we wanted purged from our life, was the last thing we did after much contemplation.
Yes Jesus used storms and boats; He used storms and my little old house on me. We had a serious loud storm a few nights ago. The weathermen were all telling us about expected tornadic activity, basically preparing us, but also scaring some. I was unafraid for I know who my protector is and also know if I die, it is in God’s perfect timing for my life and I will go to a better place. I was not frightened in the shelter of my house with Millie my prayer dog, and we went to bed after the power went out and slept through the storm. The next morning my yard was littered with sticks and turned over empty flower pots. I could tell something had happened, but no downed trees or anything serious. I thanked God for his protection and proceeded to pick up the sticks.
The lesson started coming to me then, storms are a force of nature and a fact of life and we are bound to have them in our lives. Those huge trees have no other way to remove the dead branches high up in the tops of them but to have a good shaking from a mighty storm. There are many times I have had storms in my life and God has shaken the lesson out of it to make me healthier and help me to stand up taller. It is usually while I am cleaning up after the storm that I receive the lesson and the blessing. I remove the sticks so they are no longer stumbling blocks in my life and will not tear up my lawnmower. In turn they become fuel for the biggest bonfire I can make of them.
Bonfires really do show the darkness whose boss. After Steve’s death, we had a bonfire every night and I believe most of the healing in my family was done that week. We had each other and perhaps it was the longest wake I have ever been a part of. For that week we shared stories of Steve in all of our lives, we shared our pain, we shared secrets kept hidden and we thanked God we had that opportunity to grieve together. We showed the darkness which could have robbed us with much despair and overwhelming grief who was the boss. Near the end of the week we were running low on fuel for the fire and the boys actually went seeking dead trees and branches, firewood. So you see how the healing kept going, by searching for dead wood to feed the fire to keep the darkness from us. Pretty profound lesson I stumbled upon, huh?
Just like the deadwood in my yard, lessons are everywhere and the more we look the bigger the fire and the longer it burns. I want my fire to stay stoked and burning for a long time because I am not a big fan of the dark unless the moon is full and the sky is loaded with stars. Coincidentally it was that way most of the week we bonfired together after my husband's death. So I guess you can quote me, but really you are quoting my creator who is still out there creating new ways to teach me much needed lessons. Everyday I learn but most days I don't realize it.
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