I LOVE CAMPFIRES !!!
Don’t you?    Doesn’t everyone? !!!
What’s not to love? !!!
Warmth.    Light.     Release.    Sounds of Stillness.
A CAMPFIRE has warmth. Away from the coolness found in the night, that’s where we find warmth before we climb into a sleeping bag, or onto a cot inside a tent, or even before we lay down in a cozy bed inside our camper.   The warmth can FIRST be enjoyed by the campfire.
A CAMPFIRE has light.  Away from villages, towns, and cities, that’s where we go camping, that’s where we pitch our tent, and that’s where we find light.   Build a fire in a dark area, and see the light.    Even if we choose to camp in a campground filled with others camping nearby, still darkness comes when the sun sets, and the fire’s light permeates to the edges of our campsite. 
A CAMPFIRE has release.  Just ask anyone who has ever been filled with “life” what he is looking at AS he sits in his camping chair, enjoying the fire’s warmth, staring into the fire’s light, and his mumbled “nothing” reveals that he actually sees Everything.     CAMPFIRES bring us time (space) to contemplate the serious thoughts of life.
A CAMPFIRE has sound.   Listen……………………………………………………………………….
Can we hear the crackle of the campfire, the wood popping as the heat of the hot embers consumes the wood inside the firepit.    We sit.    We stir.    We hear.    We observe how the fire consumes.   We add more wood as we remain, and we listen.      IF we listen well, we can hear the sounds of life from the tents, and campers, and from those nearby who are preparing for bed.    Sounds of life.   Whether we sit alone by the fire or sit near others, we hear the sounds of life as we sit by the warmth found in a campfire.     We may hear giggles as life is enjoyed, as stories are retold,  and we may hear seriousness as we create memories we could not know before, and we may hear intakes of breath as tales meant to frighten us are spun.     We hear so much as we sit near a campfire. 
Yet, many of us do not sit long enough by God’s firelight.
We busy ourselves with things to do, or we retire early to bed, finding our spot of rest, missing out on the beauty found in staying long by God’s fire.

Sometimes, I have allowed myself to sit by the fire, long into the night, as the rest went their separate directions, preparing for bed.    On those nights, my husband would ask, “You staying up long?” to which I replied, “Yes, a while,” and I stayed by the fire as the rest retired to the beds.    I discovered in the quiet how the whole campground seemed to drift off into a lasting quiet, allowing me a place to enjoy the stillness………..found in staying beside God’s fire’s light, enjoying the His warmth, as He helped me release my day. 
WARMTH.    LIGHT.    RELEASE.    SOUND.
We can enjoy so much near a campfire.    Life never really is so easy.    Sure we have seasons of lightheartedness, but then we seem to have a season of struggle, a “battalionful.” Quite possibly, we may have experienced a “season” within the confines of striving to live as a Coronavirus raged.

In the clarity found in the Bible, we see the apostle Paul writing a letter to Pastor Timothy, who was not exempt from life struggles.   In fact, because he was a pastor, Timothy may have experienced more……..life-heaviness.
Pastors are called to shepherd, and as they do, we may forget that pastors are people too, men of God who have families, who have spouses and children, who need rest, who also become fatigued, who love to take vacations, and who feed the flock and care for the hurting.
Paul may have known Pastor Timothy was tired, that he needed some encouragment, some quiettime to sit by the fire. 
“For I am mindful of the sincere faith you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.
For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline”    (1 Timothy 1: 5-7).

The LORD of all offers those He calls respite from Life………

As we draw near to God, HE provides ALL the Comfort we so need; HE illuminates and gives ALL the Light in the world we so need; He continually Releases us from ALL our many sins as we seek His forgiveness from the devil’s grip of sin we so need; &    God speaks the ONLY voice we need to hear, the voice ALL people so desperately need.
The LORD calls ALL to Him.     God came to save ALL.   The Father calls pastors and teachers to preach and teach and to lead,  and God calls best friends, and children going to school, and spouses, and co-workers, and shopkeepers, and US…………….God calls ALL to know Him. Won’t we pull up close to God today?

Our task is simply to follow God.
We are to go wherever God leads.
We are to place our trust in God, resting in the truth and promises of God, knowing that He will care for us, will provide for our needs and will protect us………….in whatever place OR task OR job OR relationship OR………Whatever He has us do as we walk within His will.

We are to humble ourselves, to give our life-agenda to God, and to follow HIM.      
How are we doing? Won’t we pull up close to God today?

As we immerse ourselves into the warmth and comfort found within God’s Word…….
As we pull our camp chair near God’s light…….
As we allow ourselves to find release of sins that seem to consume us, and seek His forgiveness, found only through God’s Son…….     &
As we quiet our inner cries of fear and listen for the voice of God as He speaks to us…….
IT IS ONLY THEN we can find GOD’S peace, hope, and encouragement to continue into this new day.
God offers us EVERYTHING we need. God provides us EVERYTHING we need. Won’t we pull up close to God today?

In my moments of writing, a melody by the Christian band Equipper’s Revolution played. Listen today if the opportunity allows to the melody “Everything I Need.” Maybe it will bring you joy as you do.

EVERYTHING can be found as we pull up our chair, sit for a spell, and immerse ourselves in God.
Maybe we cannot “go” camping today, maybe we cannot “sit” beside a campfire, because we must “go” instead to work; yet, we can still find respite, warmth, and comfort within the presence of God before we go    &    as we go.
Won’t we pull up close to God today?

Won’t we draw close to God today !!!
Won’t we say close, even as the world scurries around doing what they must do !!!
Won’t we stay long, immersed in the quiet voice of God as we allow Him to speak to our soul !!!
Won’t we draw close, stay long, and enjoy God’s presence as HE brings HIS calm to our being !!!
Won’t we………….pull up close and allow God to draw us close Today !!!