Cold & Fire

Colder than the mammaries of a sorceress!

Yesterday the radio weather report said the temperature here in Jacksonville dropped to 21 degrees. Burrrrr.

That’s not the Florida I know and love.

I need to warm up.

I need to warm up physically, motivationally and spiritually; I’m cold in all three areas. Fortunately, warming up is possible.

Physically, I need to warm up — but not catch fire like I did the other night when my daughter Eve was visiting.

As she and I talked about that flock of chickens, I accidentally dropped ashes from my pipe and set my bathrobe on fire. I didn’t notice till my skin started burning. I beat out the sparks but they kept flaring up again.

I’d like to say this is a rare occurrence but it isn’t. Many times I’ve inadvertently set myself on fire by going to sleep with a flaming match in my hand. So, although I prefer wooden strike-anywhere kitchen matches, for Christmas both Jennifer and Donald gave me pipe lighters that will go out immediately when the button is released.

That way, I won’t doze off with a burning match in my hand.

I also got a new gift sweater so I can stay warm without burning.

Of course, to stay warm and safe, instead of robe and slippers, I ought to lounge around the house in a HAZMAT suit.

Motivationally, I’m sluggish about getting back to work writing my book on the history of the Jacksonville Fire Department. I’d hoped to finish the first draft before the holidays. But, since I didn’t, I’ve lost a lot of steam about the project. Instead of writing, I spent yesterday on computer housekeeping chores.

That’s the way I ease into working.

Like another old man said, “I starts slow, then I tapers off”.

Same story for me spiritually.

In 2008 I intended to read the Bible cover to cover; I have one of those little charts that outlines a reading program which covers the Scripture in one year.

But… because of my fading sight, I decided I wanted to read a large-print Bible. So I hunted one up from my book shelves. Then I wondered which translation I wanted to read; I have dozens on my shelves. Then I wondered if I wanted to use some written prayers to help me focus…

By the time I pondered all this stuff, the first four days of the year have passed without my reading a single word of Scripture and I see that I’m 17 chapters behind the little chart!

Achhhh!

I’m never going to catch up.

And when I can’t catch up, I tend to give up.

Oh well, Jesus said there’d come a day when “Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold”.

While I don’t exactly give Jesus a cold shoulder, neither am I on fire for the Lord.

Neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm.

That’s bad.

Jesus once told one group of people, “I know thy works, that thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot. I would that thou wert cold or hot”. He said their lukewarm state made Him want to puke.

So, He’s not real keen on those of us who are lukewarm.

Does that mean there’s no hope for me and people like me?

Not at all.

He also said, “I am come to send fire on the earth”.

And after He rose from the dead and met two men on the road to Emmaus, a village about three score furlongs from Jerusalem, the guys said, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us by the way and while He opened to us the Scriptures”?

There need not be some spectacular Burning Bush spiritual experience — walking with Jesus in day to day life warms us up.

And, even when there’s only a tiny spark within us, there’s fantastic hope ahead for us.

The ancient Prophet Isaiah said of Jesus, “A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench”.

Ginny and I once saw a bumper sticker painted with bright flames which declared the driver ahead of us was an Arsonist For Jesus — On Fire For The Lord.

Good for him.

But if I had to paste a bumper sticker on our car …

I don’t think they make one showing smoldering straw.

Yes, there is hope for us all because in that same place where Jesus said the lukewarm Laodiceans made Him sick to His stomach, He also issued one of the most famous invitations found in Scripture:

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me".