Compass Point

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Compass Point

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Cleaning up the yard in the fall is a project I always look forward to. There is something therapeutic in an afternoon spent cleaning the gutters, raking the leaves and mowing off three weeks of growth in the yard. I will do this three or four more times before the last oak, ash and pear leaves drift to earth. But yesterday was the first and was time well spent.

I cleaned off a corner of my garden and created a fire pit. Over the summer I had collected a large pile of dead branches and limbs off the 16 trees in my yard. It was time to burn some brush!  As the fire roared to life I kept piling on the wood. Over the next two hours I reclaimed a corner of my yard. Watching a fire is always soothing and there is something about a fall outdoor fire that captures a mood and defines a season. My cares and worries disappeared and in time my mind mellowed and calmed as we sat and watched a summer of debris go up in smoke.

I told Debbie this must have been the same feeling one who worshipped before the altar of God must have felt when they brought an offering made by fire and watched it be consumed by the flames of an altar. I think that one who brought a sacrifice with a sincere heart must have felt relief and satisfaction as they stood with a priest and peered into the fire. It was enough for them at that time.

The true worship of God involves many sensory and tactile parts. He must have meant for us to pause and connect with these physical details to learn a deeper spiritual truth. We worship God, not the physical details. But I think He intends we pause and listen and learn from what we do in the many aspects of our busy life. Something as basic as burning off a pile of brush in the yard offers a moment to connect with the spiritual, allowing Christ to work peace in our soul. I look forward to the next bonfire.