Spiritual Reflections

Kris Garey

Wood stoves and warmth…seems like the season and one or the other (or both) we’re a-needin’—

Folks with cast iron, extol its endurance folks with stone hearths extol reliance; with big stacks of wood, we call winter days good with pipes, wires, igniter we turn thermostats higher; to all in each night, stove warmth and fire bring toasty delight.

Now if life heart and soul were as simple a goal, as simple as fire!

Now if in laying the groundwork of leading our lives we took the same care as in laying our hearth planned half as wise

Now if in preparing our ways we carefully gathered our thoughts words and minds as purposefully as we gather fuel matches and power then perhaps we’d remember each day and each night that God is the One Who strikes the match with true purpose Who kindles the brushwood of life to bring light all around us to stir deep within us more need than for fire

It’s a time before Christmas a time of preparing hearts joy and rejoicing; our souls, sweetened by kindness, now delighting in a time for our learning: control thoughts, words, stop harming.

With God’s Spirit to guide us to lead and remind us Jesus is the Promise by his Light God counsels Remember Me See in Me more warmth than in fire see in Me more brightness than day See in me the hearth where your heart can rest and catch fire. see now the Light.

Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This week our contributor is Pastor Kris Garey, Trinity Lutheran of Hovland.