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1 Corinthians 3: 13-15

Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

I have not written a blog for weeks. This neglect is the very thing I promised myself I would not do. I didn't want to start something for God and then abandon it. That seems to be a weakness of mine, and one of the areas God has been working on with me lately. Keeping my word, that and not giving it too freely to other people without counting the costs.

It is not that I have not been writing. I have been writing a lot. But it does no good for this mission I am on to not share the lessons God is teaching me. Not that I have mastered them. That is something else entirely. But the world must know that there is a journey. And that there is a road...and a companion Guide to go with us. Adventure is the eternal song of the soul. 

So I woke up this morning with the firm desire to write...and the nagging impulse to do anything but. In the midst of this tug of war this verse pulsed though my thoughts, not in its entirety but in questions. "If you do not write, will the thing you do today end up being flammable? If you look back over your days what do you see that will survive the fire? Can you do one fireproof thing each day?" 

These are powerful questions. For they paint a picture of my appearance before God as one of empty-handedness. Nothing to show is not the goal. It is not even a question of receiving a reward in return, for God himself is the reward for the repentant heart. But it is a matter of offering a gift of gratitude and love. And what have I really? 

All the hours I spend at work. All the errands I run, loads of laundry, bills paid, meals cooked, groceries bought, television watched, books read...all these things are flammable. All the praise and acclaim I might garner from these acts, all the laughter shared, friendship and love celebrated, wine toasted, kisses and hugs...even these may be sorely scorched if not consumed in the flames. 

The only thing truly fireproof  is obedient love paid to my God. That which is done regardless of how I feel, or whether or not I have time, or whether or not it is approved of or understood by others. I cannot for the life of me see how these words could withstand the flames. What are they really but a strange form of confession? But He who asks for them will not cease asking. And so I am offering this to Him, if for nothing else than to please Him with something to remain after the fire goes out.