Well, it is October now, and guess what...we are having to build fires in the fireplace. I don't mind really. I like fire. Ok, I'm not an arsonist...I just love fire. The beauty of the flames...the heat that it produces...the things that it does to the wood. All of it. I just love fire. Today, as I was building one, I noticed something about myself. I had made a perfect prefire setup. Paper wadded up not too tight and not too loose. Small, skinny, dry pieces of kindling stacked back and forth like a Tic-Tac-Toe board. A little bit bigger pieces of wood on top of that in the same pattern. Man, I was ready. I grabbed the lighter and did my thing. I lit the paper. And as it slowly started to burn, I grabbed the bellows and started puffing away. 'Come on fire! Burn, burn, burn!' When it didn't take right away, I puffed even harder. It finally started to go. So I closed the door a little and walked away. Satisfied. I looked back at it a few minutes latter, and the dumb thing wasn't burning like I thought it should be. So I got back down there with the bellows again, and started puffing away. Then it hit me...what is my stinkin' hurry! I constantly talk about how life is a process and it all takes time, and here I am rushing something that I know takes time itself. Too often in my life I think I do the same thing. 'Ok God, You prepared the perfect setup, You have a desired outcome...now out of my way and let me puff this thing into reality." I think the problem is that I used to use Coleman fuel to help start bon fires years ago, and now I expect the same result in my home fireplace. Instant, big fire! But even using Coleman fuel was not a great answer...the fire would flare up fast but not really catch anything on fire. I know I don't really want this for my life, not to mention that is also not God's plan for my life. He wants to build the perfect 'prefire' set up in my life, then light it, and let it burn at the right speed. See, God knows that good fires take time. He doesn't need my help. He doesn't want a big fast fire that doesn't actually burn anything. He wants a fire that burns deep. One that produces His outcome. So, I think I will just let Him do that. Produce that long lasting, deep fire that is not easily put out. I will leave the fire of my life to the Ultimate Firestarter!