Recently there have been a number of house fires reported on our local news. Each one has tragedy attached to it but through the fire there often comes a story of hope and help as a result. Although devastating and unexpected these kinds of events bring us into new understandings that otherwise would not have been.
As a young girl I was deathly afraid of fire. Perhaps it came naturally since there was a chimney fire in our house when I was very young. It left a lasting impression on me during those early years. I monitored the wood stoves that heated our house very closely ready to douse them with water or at least tell my mother if the flames were too high.
Then, when I was about 10 years old, we had a run-away fire in the burn pile behind our house. As the fire trucks roared toward our home with sirens blaring, I quickly decided to prepare for the impending disaster - loss of my possessions. Frantically rummaging through them, I chose my Bible, a few trinkets from our beach trip, my school picture and whatever else would fit into a very small cigar box. No clothes, nothing from the rest of the family's possessions - just me and my box off to our car which was parked near the road. Safely in the back seat I prayed earnestly for our house, worried a lot, and then attempted to get other family members to join me. The fire was put out, our home was not harmed and everything remained as it was as before - but I was not the same! This fear-filled, through-the-fire experience taught me about the courage I needed for life and that people's safety is more important than things.
"Fear is the father of courage and the mother of safety." Henry H. Tweedy About safety - God gave this promise to His people through the prophet, Isaiah about the fires of life . . .
"When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned." Isaiah 43:2
Our safety is of great concern to our Heavenly Father. In the rest of this Isaiah passage ( vs 1-13) He expresses this care over and over.
And about the courage we need - God provides us with the fire of His Holy Spirit to enable us - to guide us - to direct us.
"...‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty." Zechariah 4:6
So when (not if) we are called to walk through the fire where do we go?
WHEN THE HEAT TURNS UP... MY KNEES GO DOWN ... AND COURAGE SOARS!
May the flames of the Holy Spirit ignite God's purpose in our lives filling us with hope and healing, care and courage, safety and sustenance.
Blessings . . . as you beat the heat!
Select the BEHIND THE BENCH blog tab above for a hymn about the Holy Spirit written by our quoted author and preacher Henry H.Tweedy.
©2011 SPORTMOMS & MORE | 11964 Elemar - Portland, OR 97224
As a young girl I was deathly afraid of fire. Perhaps it came naturally since there was a chimney fire in our house when I was very young. It left a lasting impression on me during those early years. I monitored the wood stoves that heated our house very closely ready to douse them with water or at least tell my mother if the flames were too high.
Then, when I was about 10 years old, we had a run-away fire in the burn pile behind our house. As the fire trucks roared toward our home with sirens blaring, I quickly decided to prepare for the impending disaster - loss of my possessions. Frantically rummaging through them, I chose my Bible, a few trinkets from our beach trip, my school picture and whatever else would fit into a very small cigar box. No clothes, nothing from the rest of the family's possessions - just me and my box off to our car which was parked near the road. Safely in the back seat I prayed earnestly for our house, worried a lot, and then attempted to get other family members to join me. The fire was put out, our home was not harmed and everything remained as it was as before - but I was not the same! This fear-filled, through-the-fire experience taught me about the courage I needed for life and that people's safety is more important than things.
"Fear is the father of courage and the mother of safety." Henry H. Tweedy About safety - God gave this promise to His people through the prophet, Isaiah about the fires of life . . .
"When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned." Isaiah 43:2
Our safety is of great concern to our Heavenly Father. In the rest of this Isaiah passage ( vs 1-13) He expresses this care over and over.
And about the courage we need - God provides us with the fire of His Holy Spirit to enable us - to guide us - to direct us.
"...‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty." Zechariah 4:6
So when (not if) we are called to walk through the fire where do we go?
WHEN THE HEAT TURNS UP... MY KNEES GO DOWN ... AND COURAGE SOARS!
May the flames of the Holy Spirit ignite God's purpose in our lives filling us with hope and healing, care and courage, safety and sustenance.
Blessings . . . as you beat the heat!
Select the BEHIND THE BENCH blog tab above for a hymn about the Holy Spirit written by our quoted author and preacher Henry H.Tweedy.
©2011 SPORTMOMS & MORE | 11964 Elemar - Portland, OR 97224
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