Sitting Outside The Ring Of Fire

Josh and I sat outside by the fire pit for over 2 hours last night.  We saw the sun drop behind the trees and then the atmosphere slowly turn to darkness outside.  The stars were so bright above our heads, yet the darkness around us slowly swallowed us up...except for the light that the fire put out.

As I was gathering sticks to slowly add to the low-lit fire a bat kept sweeping in right around our heads.  It was creeping me out!  And every time I stuck  my hand down in the stick pile to grab another handful I was afraid I was going to pull out a spider, or even worse, a snake!

The fields around us are always an unknown.  We've seen coyotes and raccoons and numerous deer.  The random person has also been known to traipse through the tall grass on the far side of the field.

But the lower and lower the fire's flames got the more our eyes adjusted to the darkness and we were made more aware of our surroundings and the potential for critters, and who knows whatever else, to creep up on us.  There is a reason why I never enjoy the fire pit by myself when Josh is out of town.  Maybe if it was located closer to the house?

The fire was reaching an all-time low so I broke some longer twigs and sticks to add to the kindling.  All of a sudden the fresh new wood caught fire and began blazing brightly.  Immediately everything went pitch black around me.  The darkness didn't matter anymore, even though it appeared that it were thicker than ever.  The impending dangers were still all around us, but they seemed to have disappeared. Nothing mattered in that moment except for the nearly blinding light in the fire.  And as long as I stayed focused on that light that is all that consumed my mind.

The darkness will always surround us on this side of heaven.  The dangers and storms will always seem to be just over the horizon, but when we focus on the light  the fear goes away and the comfort is restored to the soul.

And in that moment, nothing matters but the light.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

John 1:5

"The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? 

The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 27:1

"Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light."

John 12:36

"the people living in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death the light has dawned."

Matthew 4:16