fires

A poorly equipped camping trip recently found us with damp firewood, no kindling, no axe or hatchet to make kindling, no newspaper and questions from a child who was ready for dinner. We got there eventually but it took patience, muscle and creativity.

I gathered leaves, twigs and pine cones from around our campsite. My friend fanned the flame with our plastic cutting board with such vigour that she ended up with blisters on her hands. We used paper towel found in the trunk of my dad's car, toilet paper rolls that we collected from the bathroom and even a bit of our stove fuel.

All this got me thinking about the spirituality of fire building. Fires can't grow unless the hard work of fueling it properly is done. We can't have a fueled faith unless we're well established by grace and conditions that strike the balance between allowing us to grow while not being so stagnant that the flame simply peters out.

I'm left asking myself, what do I need to do to grow the fire within me?