Father, as I look out my office window I am in awe of Your creation. Heavy rain and strong winds last night and calm and serene this morning…pools of water here and there and leaves – lots of leaves – everywhere! There is still some green, a little orange, and a lot of yellow. The intricacy of our world never ceases to amaze me. I love every season You have blessed me with in my part of the world. Every one of them has a beauty all its own. Thank You, Father, for the thought and love You put in Your creation!

Matthew 5:21-22 (<<click the green)

tinder /ˈtindər/ noun
    dry, flammable material, such as wood or paper,
    used for lighting a fire.

I must admit, Lord, that I am a tinder accumulator. And that is a dangerous thing. To do what it does, tinder is not a huge thing. It is a group of small things. If you want to start a fire for roasting hot dogs or warm your home, it can be a very good thing. But too much of a good thing can become a problem

Too much tinder can let a fire get out of control and it is easy for us to let a bunch of little things pile up in our lives. Instead of letting things go, we begin to stockpile them. Something said that offends us, something done that hurts us. What is best is to cast those things aside but so often we don’t do that. We prefer to hang on to the tinder – a pile here, an accumulation there. It can become difficult to let them go. We get used to having our own little pity parties and all that tinder is a good place to party.

But, Lord, what happens if a spark comes flying our way? Unfortunately, almost anything can set us off and with too much tender around us, we just can’t control it. We quickly go up in flames!

Today’s passage speaks of not committing murder, and thankfully I am not tempted in that area. But then, Lord, You go on to say that where murder brings judgment, so does being angry with someone. And that is an area in which I struggle. When a little spark flies my way my accumulation of “tinder” – things said and done – can quickly engulf me.

Lord, help me to get rid of my “tinder”. May I rid myself of the little things that can pile up into big things. May the anger that comes my way have nothing to ignite but may it fizzle and float away like a puff of smoke. Instead, may I be an accumulator of love. May Your love pour out of me putting out even the fires of others, showing that love is the answer – that You are the answer. Amen.

Nov 6th, Mon, 7:25 am