Wet Wood

I can forever remember hearing country preachers proclaiming from the pulpit, "Now, if that don't light your fire, your wood is wet." I always knew what it meant, but I now have a mental picture of that phrase.

My boys LOVE, I mean LOVE to make a fire in the fireplace. I LOVE for them to do it as well, since I am most assuredly the WORST "fire in the fireplace maker". I never can get it just right. It never ever stays lit.

A few days ago when it felt like winter, I tried to make a fire in the fireplace. I used the fire starters. I used wood. I placed it just right. I even used a match! It started very quickly and I thought I had traveled the passage onto great fire building skills. It burned for a little while. When I was ready to sit and enjoy it....IT WAS GONE! No fire. No embers. No sparks. How disappointing. I tried again, and again, and again, and then resigned to wait until the boys got home to help their fire challenged mother out.

When they got home from school, Cade asked if I had tried to light a fire. I answered, yes but I am not good at all. Snickering, he said, "oh mom, I'll do it for you.....again." Sure enough, he had a fire going in no time, and it kept going until bedtime.

I asked him what he did that I didn't do or what I did wrong. He said, "mom, your wood was wet. you've gotta use the older dry wood. Wet wood won't burn silly."

What am I fueling my spiritual fire with. Am I using "wet wood". Wood that will not burn. Wood that only burns for a brief time. Spiritual wet wood is wood that has not been seasoned by the Holy Spirit. Wet wood is wood that is soaked in unconfessed sin, a weak prayer life, a life that doesn't praise the Father. Wet wood can look like dry seasoned wood, but when put to the fire, it just doesn't have what it takes for a fire to burn.

Dear God, Please help me fuel my spirit with dry seasoned wood. With the wood that will allow your Holy Spirit to burn in me. Forgive me of the sins I have not confessed and let's make up. I want to have a warm beautiful fire burning in me.

Karen