Stay Warmed

 

The air was really cold the day we decided to take the Jeep with its doors removed to the store.

The errand was intended to be a short one.
Just one simple stop at Lowe’s to get what we needed and then, perhaps a stop at Starbuck’s and home.

Ahh… but it didn’t turn out as planned.
Three cities and six stops later, we found ourselves finally arriving home almost 7 hours after we began our journey.

To say I was cold was an understatement.

I could see the passerby’s giving us, “the look”, too.
I know what they were saying.
I was saying the same thing.
“Fools!”

And nearing complete sundown, we approached our home just as the temperatures plummeted to under fifty degrees!

He’d graciously put the heat on high for me.
And I was thankful for the sweatshirt with sleeves that served as conduits of warmth to my upper body.

But I noticed something.
(Thank you, God, for your lessons!)

When I placed my hands up to the vents, exposing my skin to the heat, it felt glorious.
And in an instant I was comforted and relieved from the harsh elements.
But when I pulled away from the warmth, I was all the more frigid and miserable.

Exposure to the heat source heightened my awareness to the damaging effects of the bitter cold.

My reception of gladdening warmth proved how dreadful the chill of night can be.

I recalled to my mind the numerous conversations I’ve had with friends as of late.
The honest questions for the ones following Jesus, “Why does the world look so ugly to me!?”

And internally and silently I celebrate when I hear it.

“Because the closer you are to Him, the uglier the world becomes.”

Because once you’ve felt the fire… the freezing temperatures of a sin-filled world become almost unbearable.

Because once you’ve experienced the pleasure of the fiery Presence… the enemy appears more dreadful in his schemes and tactics aimed at destruction and division.

And so the answer is to stay close to the fire.
Stay warmed by His radiance.
“Keep the fire on the alter burning.” (Lev 6:12)

There is danger to disengagement from the source of all satisfaction.

And once you’ve perceived this kind of delight, nothing else will do.