rekindled.

  Night had fallen. In a small little house on a dark and quiet street, lamplight gleamed from every window. A young lady stood by the kitchen counter and once again looked out the window for any sign that maybe just maybe she wouldn't have to spend another evening by herself. The window was open wide to let in the cool breeze, supper was on the stove, ready to eat. A candle burned on the kitchen table, a small, but yet bright flame added to the coziness of the little house that she called home. With a sigh, she walked to the cupboard, and got out a plate. Another meal. By herself. As she turned and walked toward the living room with her food, a gust of wind blew through the open window. As she watched, she saw the candle flame flicker, almost go out and then rekindle and burn once again, a bright cheerful flame. 

  Rekindle...the word flashed across her mind but she tried to shove it to the back of her mind. It kept coming back and as she tried to think of just why that word wouldn't leave her mind, a little thought popped into her mind.

  Every evening, when darkness fell, it got so dark in her heart. Sometimes, it was so dark, she felt she had no hope. There was a candle in her heart, but the flame was flickering, and almost going out. Tormenting fears and feelings of hopelessness came in gusts. Lately, it seemed like those gusts of wind had been coming harder and stronger than ever before. The candle flame couldn't hold its own, and with each gust, it threatened more and more to go out completely. The evening went on, and she knew she needed to go to sleep, for tomorrow she had a great responsibility. She tried to pray, and then to sleep, but a little voice inside kept saying, "your Bible". She reached for her Bible, and opened to Proverbs 3. This is what she read: Trust in the Lord, with all thine heart, and lean not on thine own understanding. And further on: 

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

"Thou shalt not be afraid...thou shalt not be afraid. Trust in the Lord... with ALL thine heart..." And with that, her heart-candle flame got a little brighter, and a little more bright, and a little more. With her candle shining bright, she placed her oh, so small hand into the great hand of her most loving Creator, and stepped out in faith, the flame from her candle shining bright. With her heart made up that she would trust, and not be afraid, she fell into sweet sleep, and the words of a song were on her heart. 


There is joy in my heart, I'm unworthy,

Lord you gave me such wonderful joy,

And now...there's joy...

on the journey for me once more...

Thank you for giving me blessed peace,

Thank you for giving me blessed joy.

For there...is joy...

On the journey for me once more.

  There was joy. And now when the windows were opened too far and the gusts of wind were too strong, she made sure to close those windows tight, and to watch her heart-candle rekindle into a bright glowing flame. With her God by her side, and a rekindled flame, she was ready for whatever God might send her way.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

out of the mouth of a child.🤍

  "Miss Unruh! I made it!" I turned and looked behind me at the little blond haired girl running toward me, with glowing eyes. In her hands, she clutched a basketball tightly. She had just managed to make a basket. For the last 10 minutes, she had thrown the ball again and again, only to miss, and yet she never gave up...until finally she made it through the hoop. We walked back together and with an, "that's awesome! Now let's keep on trying!" she got the ball situated right, turned around with her back to the basketball hoop, and threw it up in the air backwards. A few more tries just like that and she had made another basket, and then another one. The sparkle in her blue eyes as she looked up at me showed me just how excited she was that she had accomplished something that was so difficult for her. We both laughed together and shot more baskets and laughed together some more. And then a thought popped into this teacher's mind. Her most difficult feat.....
Read more

fixed on the light.

  “Oh Lord, guide this ship…” an     elderly sea captain gripped the wheel of the ship and gazed out at the tempestuous sea. Thick, opaque fog swirled round about the weather beaten ship that tossed treacherously on the waves, making any chance to see what was ahead almost completely inevitable. The waves had started out at little ripples, and then turned into white caps, and soon thirty feet, then fifty, then sixty. He gripped the wheel, his knuckles white, and his heart, oh how his heart was gripped in fear when he looked down at the waves. He didn’t know how much longer his feeble vessel would be able to hold together. The winds howled fiercely ‘round about him as he peered anxiously, looking, looking, and praying fervently that surely he would be able to make it out alive. Oh, how he prayed that the fog would lift just a little tiny bit, just enough to see a little further. He prayed for calmer water.     The waves grew still bigger and the frail vessel was ...
Read more

only once in a while.

  only once in a while.     It doesn't happen every day, only once in a while. It doesn't take the big things, most of the time it's something so small most people wouldn't notice it. If you asked her though, she would probably look at you with a sparkle in her eye that tells you of a part of her life that she remembers so well. She might give you a little glimpse into that, the part of her life that tugs at her heart strings so. Most of it's so ordinary, but in her simple words it might tug at your heartstrings too .      ...a hint of woodsmoke in the crisp fall air...     It takes her back to a little logging town located in eastern Oregon. As she walks up the sidewalk, she pauses for just a small tidbit of a second, and turns and faces the mountains towering over the beautiful valley. A fresh fall of snow has dusted the trees, and here and there you can still catch a glimpse of a bright yellow tamarack tree. It's cold, the smoke from all the wo...
Read more