Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant, who walks in darkness and has no light, yet trusts in the name of the LORD and relies upon his God? (Isaiah 50:10)

Food For Thought:

The Parable of the Homemade Fire Starter

A resourceful, wise man had an old coffee can under his kitchen sink to save bits of wax. Each time a candle would burn out, he would take the stubs and put them into his can. He'd also scrape melted wax from the bottom of candle holders and add that waste too. Friends would bring him small bags of their wax trimmings.

Little by little, the contents of the metal container increased. At the same time, the wise man also kept the wood shavings and sawdust that he produced in his small garage workshop. For months, the refuse bin grew in volume. When both coffee can and sawdust bin were full, the wise man set out to make firestarters.

Carefully, he placed the metal coffee can on the gas stove to melt the wax. Next, he took paper cups and filled them with sawdust. With practiced precision, the wise man poured the wax into the paper cups. The wood fibers absorbed the molten liquid quickly. After the wise man used up all the wax in the can, he allowed the firestarters to cool down. Before long, they hardened and were ready for use.

Later that evening, the wise man took his recycled firestarters outside to his firepit. He placed one of his tiny creations in the center of a pile of sticks, twigs, and logs. Lighting the firestarter with a match, the wise man watched the repurposed materials burn with intensity. He smiled as the firestarter did its job. Over the next twenty minutes, the enduring flame ignited a roaring campfire.

PRAYER:

Light a candle (or three candles on your Advent wreath), take a deep breath, and pray…

O Come Healing Light and shine into our broken bodies. Light our path so that we might trust in the power of your love over the darkness of this world. Strengthen us with child-like trust to live each day as your children, claimed as forever yours in the waters of baptism. Through Resurrected Body of Christ, Amen.