“Abruptly the poker of memory stirs the ashes of recollection and uncovers a forgotten ember, still smoldering down there, still hot, still glowing, still red as red.” ~William Manchester
A story was told at a recent meeting I attended. The speaker was Ps Steve Bullen, who along with his wife Simone paster theC3Church - North Atlanta. Steve was speaking to a large group of men about re-igniting their lives. He tells a story of many years ago during a beach-side conference that always held a very large bonfire at conference end.
The days leading up to the conference, folks involved with putting on the event had built a huge pile of wood and timbers. This was going to be a very large fire for those gathered. But as the conference started, the rains came. Rain pouring down for two to three days, through out the week soaking everything including the bonfire wood.
When the final night came, the rains had ceased and everyone was expecting a grand fire. As you would expect, the wood was damp and the day's sunshine had not fully dried it. So paper and bruch and lots of matches were consumed trying to get this bonfire started.
Then out of the corner of Steve's eye, he sees someone coming with a large fuel can, gasoline one would expect, letting the liquid fly towards the pile. It was estimated that it was probably two or more gallons of the highly flammable stuff.
To no one's surprise, there were a few small embers from the failed lighting attempts still glowing within the pile. Now if you have never seen what happens with gasoline; the fumes are flammable and all it takes it a small spark or ember to ignite it completely. An instant solar flare occurs that lit up the entire coastline. So bright that ships thought it was a light beacon. So intense that...well, you get the picture.
The amazing thing that one can draw from this story is that all it took was one small flame. One small spark or ember to change everything. Something so small and singular in purpose we somehow forget that it exists. But it does exist. It exists in each of us, deep inside where we have forgotten it.
That one small flame glows, just waiting for you to throw something on it. To let it ignite your life and explode into something great. Oh yes, it does exist and all it takes is that one small flame. A small touch or a small amount of movement to change your life.
