When the Fire Burns Out

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” *

After Al and I moved to our country home in the summer of 1987, we realized that the main source of heat was a large wood stove in the living room. When it came time to use the stove, we quickly found out that the wood stove was a lot of work, including the necessity of cutting, splitting and stacking the wood beforehand.

 Unless he ordered a cord of wood, Al did most of the cutting and splitting himself. I only had to do the stacking. It was a hard, time-consuming job.

 After building the fire each evening, the challenge was in keeping it going through those winter nights when the temperature dropped below 35 degrees. There were a few times when it went out completely and had to be started up again from scratch.

I remember feeling dismayed at opening the door of the stove only to find ash, not wanting to build a new fire in the middle of the night. It was tempting to just pile on another blanket and go back to bed.

Then the ash and soot had to be cleaned up periodically, a dirty job. Piles of ash had to be scraped through a grate in the bottom of the main compartment into a pan below. The leftovers were shoveled into a bucket.

After the heavy bucket and metal pan were emptied, the area inside as well as outside the stove had to be swept. More ash and mess. The glass window, blackened with soot from many fires, also had to be cleaned off. When the project was finished, we’d sit back and enjoy seeing the crisply burning fire through the clear window—until it was time for the next cleaning!

Burnout seems to sneak up on me easily during this time of year with much to do for the holidays. When I get tired out physically, emotionally, spiritually, or all of the above, one thought seems to play over and over in my mind: “This is just too hard.” That thought only generates more burnout, making it even harder for me to face the demands of life.

When I read the verses above from Isaiah 40 one morning this week and remembered that the Lord doesn’t grow tired or weary, my soul began to feel comforted. If I could just rest in the Lord, facing each new moment of the day with Him, things wouldn’t seem so difficult.  

            The rest of that passage was also comforting: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” *

What a wonderful promise! Strength to the weary, power to the weak! Rather than focusing on the thought, “It’s just too hard,” putting my hope in the Lord and trusting in Him brought a sense of renewed strength, just as Isaiah said it would.

Tired and uncomfortable, ready for a long rest after their journey and maybe a shower too, Mary must have been disappointed when she and Joseph finally reached their destination, but couldn’t find lodging. No place to stay, with a baby due at any time?

After traveling all of the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem on the back of a donkey, I wonder if the thought “This is just too hard!” came to her mind? But then, not long after their arrival in Bethlehem, came the birth of her baby, Jesus—the fulfillment of the promise that God had made to her through the angel Gabriel. With Jesus came renewed hope and joy.

 May God bring renewal, strength and joy to each one of us as we put our trust in Him. Happy New Year! 

*Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV

“Ashes”

Lord...

When ashes have collected

in a gray, powdery pile

and the flame of love

has died out in my heart,

help me remove the ash and

bring in more fuel.

Then, Lord….

Ignite my heart with

the spark of your Spirit

that it might always burn

 with love for You.

Revised12-21-21 JLL