Avoiding The Fire

Yesterday morning...in the quiet stillness that comes after my husband has left for work and before my sons have awakened for the day...I decided to use some of my scrap material to make myself some potholders...and to ponder...

"Why potholders?" you might ask...or maybe you wouldn't ask.

The reason for the potholders is quite simple, you see. It is because my husband thought it would be a good idea."These are in pretty bad shape," he remarked recently, "you really could use some new ones. You know, you probably shouldn't use these on the woodstove...the fire really does a number on them."

I have a pretty bad habit of grabbing my potholders while I'm cooking, and since the woodstove is right in the kitchen, adding a log or two to the fire. I could put on the wonderful fireproof gloves made especially for this purpose which sit right on top of the woodbox...just waiting to be used. But instead, I just grab whatever potholder I'm using at the time, and well, you can see the results.

"Why do I do it?" you ask. The answer is simple...because it is the quickest, easiest way...even though I know that it is wrong and that it will eventually destroy my poor potholders.

While listening to the hum of the sewing machine, I am quietly reminded that I take the easy route in other areas of my life as well...when I know that God would rather have me take another path. This "other" path is usually more difficult...and requires more sacrifice on my part...but it is the "narrow path"...and I am again reminded that it is the way I should go.

Of course, replacing potholders is an easy task for me.Just stitch up 9 (2 1/2 inch) squares, add a 6 inch square of batting (have you tried the heat resistant kind...it's fabulous for potholders!) and a backing of 8 inches...and handstitch a little plastic hanger...that's about it...an easy fix to a minor problem.

But some issues are not so easy to fix, or not "fixable" at all, and so we must always be careful...

"Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." I Corinthians 3:13



Praise God,however, that because He is my Lord and Savior, I will be avoiding the "eternal fire"...and for that I am continually grateful.