"A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench." Isaiah 42:3
Each day I strike the match and
lift the flame to the wick of the blessed candle watching it flicker, nearly go out, and then,
suddenly burn strong as the fire takes its full effect. I breathe a
prayer over the flame and then walk away, trusting that my prayer will
burn strong, carrying the heat of my love to heaven, to the Heart of
God.
But the next day, I return to find
that the flame has gone out. The wax has completely evaporated and all
that is left is a metal stub in the bottom of the glass votive holder.
My prayer has gone cold.
My spirit is often the same way. I
begin the day in silent prayer and He floods my soul with His peace. The flame is lit. As the
day wears on I work hard, full of energy and ambition, completely on
fire for the Lord and willing to do whatever it takes to serve Him. I
go about my daily duties and am soon confronted by
difficulties-conflicts with co-workers and family, challenging paperwork
that is beyond my abilities, weariness and frustration from too much to
do. The peace of my early morning prayer seems so distant. Like that prayer candle, my flame has dimmed and I am left
with a chill in my soul.
Tomorrow I will begin
again-I will strike the match and light the wick of the candle. And God
will strike the match and ignite the wick of my soul. It's a never-ending cycle, this life of faith. I pray that God will always fan the flames of my love for Him whenever the cold breezes of life threaten to snuff them out. I long to burn strong forever, warmed by His love every day of this life into eternity.
What a beautiful reflection...It never ceases to amaze me how full of mercy and grace our Lord is towards us in all our brokenness and falling-- that we get up to fall back again. I am so thankful for the times when the flame burns hot. May yours blaze a long blessing!
ReplyDeleteThank you for so eloquently putting into words EXACTLY what I've been feeling this week! Now I can take comfort in knowing that I'm not alone when I feel like my flame has dimmed. God bless you!
DeleteThis is marvelous.
ReplyDeleteAnne, this is so beautiful! God in His Wisdom knew so well that just getting through an "ordinary" day...day after day, would be the greatest test of our love for Him.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, your flame is always burning brightly, even when you many not see or feel it!
Beautiful reflection, Anne. I feel the same way quite often. Same with Mass. When I'm at Mass I feel like that flame is a full-fledged fire. But it slowly seems to burn down after it encounters the business of life.
ReplyDeleteI guess we are lucky God is always waiting for us to return!
God Bless you.
Anne, this reminds me of Lamentations 3:22-23, "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." God Bless you!
ReplyDelete