By Donna McMorrow

When our children were young, Pat and I used to go camping in the Poconos with friends. We did all of the typical camping things: biking, walking, swimming, early morning kayaking, big-screen movies on a seven-inch TV, soggy sleeping bags dried with a box fan, and campfires.

Most evenings, our campfire was started with crumpled paper, kindling and a few chunks of wood, but other times a lot of effort went into creating fire. On one particular evening, the wood for the campfire became wet from a deluge of rain. The men stacked the wood for maximum fire potential and soaked it with lighter fluid for good measure. The match was lit, the fire caught along the edge of the logs and whoosh, we had a  glorious crackling fire. We arranged our chairs. I ran to the trailer for marshmallows and chocolate, and when I got back, our fire had shrunk to smoke. Clearly, our campfire was nothing but a flash in the pan. I gathered the kids for a movie instead.  

The next evening the men were determined that we would have FIRE! Once again, the careful arrangement of wood and kindling, accompanied by an extra douse of lighter fluid and another match, created an even bigger WHOOSH! The flames above our fire circle shot 10 feet into the air. We heard the crackle and then watched in dismay as the flames sank lower and lower. Then inspiration (desperation) struck. Pat yelled, “Get the fan,” and ran off. Confused, I put down the chocolates and grabbed the box fan. Pat returned like a superhero waving an extension cord. He balanced the fan on one of the children’s chairs, plugged it in and directed the breeze at our languishing fire. The flames immediately picked back up, and it was s’mores all around! Our fire burned brightly with the continuous wind from the fan blowing on it.  

Our God has always had campfires. There was the burning bush, the brazen altar in the tabernacle, Elijah’s altar, and tongues of fire on the Day of Pentecost. God places Holy Spirit campfires in the hearts of His people. 

Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:6 (NIV), “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you.” The NASB version says, “I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God.” Synonyms for the word kindle area: to blaze, burn, light, inflame, ignite, glow, excite, set fire, arouse, awaken, challenge, stir, provoke, stimulate, inspire, thrill, energize, enliven, impel, and animate. We are to kindle afresh the gift of God. We need to revive the fire. Stir it. Ignite it. Make it glow! General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, once wrote, “The tendency of a fire is to go  out; watch the fire on the altar of your heart.”  

Sometimes in our own lives, we make more smoke than flame. At other times, we have a  strong, crackling fire that others can be warmed by. God longs to set us on fire for Him. He wants to consume us with His fiery presence, so we shine for His glory. John Wesley put it like this, “When the fire of God touches your life, people will come and see you burn.” What is the condition of the fire in your heart today? Do you need a fan and an extension cord?

Donna McMorrow and her husband have been married for 41 years. She is a retired special education teacher, adoptive parent, cancer survivor and child of the King. In her free time, she enjoys reading, photography and painting.