Songs From the Fire

Photo: "Campfire Pleasures" by Dee Kamp

Songs From the Fire

Have you sat around a crackling, snapping campfire or in front of a fireplace and found yourself listening to the fire hiss and sing? The wood used for a good long-lasting fire is a big chunk of wood we call “the back log.” The rest is kindling which will burn up hot and quickly disappear.

When the back log catches fire it often begins to make a multitude of melodic sounds. When the snapping and crackling of the fire slows down, there is a whistling, squeaking, even a flute like sound coming from the back log.

Often the room grows quiet and everyone seems drawn to listen to its music, the songs of the forest fill the room. The log sings from the memories of the song birds in spring, the hoot of the owl at night, the flute like sound of the tree frog chirping after the rain. The tree’s songs are recalled from its memory of when the high winds blew strumming through its branches and the sound of the hissing snow and sleet in a harsh winter storm.

But the people of God will sing a song of joy, like the songs

 at the holy festivals. You will be filled with joy,

as when a flutist leads a group of pilgrims to Jerusalem,

the mountain of the Lord—to the Rock

 of Israel (Isaiah 30:29 NLT).

It’s a writer’s fancy to hear songs of the forest singing from a sizzling log in the fire. But it is a bit of a parable of our lives. Each of us has collected many songs from our own lives over the years.

Some of the best songs remembered are the ones resulting from the times we were “in the fire” of life’s trials. Some people may never learn to sing until the flames kindle a memory deep within them.

When struggles come and go, we know God strengthens us to endure them. Let us then let the flames of our passion release the captured songs in our heart. These songs and melodies have been stored away to sing praises to our God for all He has done for us. It’s the songs from the fire that are most effective, most remembered, and most beautifully sung.

“Songs from the Fire” by Dee Kamp from Strength for Today, Hope for Tomorrow