“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter
with another human being. We should all
be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” Albert Schweitzer
Have you ever found yourself with an extinguished inner
flame? How do you keep from becoming one
of those people who lives the rest of their life in a cold, winter-like
state? I recently found myself in this
predicament. It scared me. I’ve always been overflowing with joy, and
suddenly, thanks to a mountain of circumstances, my fire was going out. I tried to rekindle the fire on my own; I
prayed to God for help, but what I failed to do until this last week was to be
open and honest with the people who surround me. Then, in a vulnerable moment, I shared with a
group of women how I was losing my joy.
Over the next few days, God used the people in my life to
fan the fire in my soul. There was a
thoughtful gift left on my doorstep, a sweet card in my mailbox, a beautiful
email in my inbox, and text messages encouraging me throughout the day. During this same time, I had visits from my
favorite out-of-towners; my two best girlfriends and my parents. My flame is stronger now, no longer in danger
of being extinguished. God was faithful
and answered my prayer. And I was
reminded how God uses people to do His work.
I’m convinced that the threads of relationships are sacred. When strongly woven, they can wrap us in God’s
love and keep us warm through the blizzards of life. I’m blessed to have beautiful threads in my
life, and I’m obligated, as a follower of Christ, to serve as a beautiful thread
in the lives of others. This life is
made to live in community. What a grand
and perfect design!
