Like Fire, Like Son
A test of Man-liness is how fast he can get his fire started. I guess this tradition relates back to the stone age when man lived by fire so the man who got his first, got the girl first also cuz she would be attracted to the man who could provide. ANYWAYS, I got back home and our fire was barely going from last night. There was smoldering ashes that were still burning pretty hot. So I proceed to get this fire back up to it’s roaring self. I stuck some eaiser to light wood boards from palletes on top and proceeded to watch it burn. Alas, it was taking too long to light so I got a sheet of news paper and wadded it up and stuck it underneath. After two minutes it was only smoldering. I didn’t get it. The fire was hot but nothing happening, no flames. Disappointed in my manliness, I call over my dad and ask him what’s wrong. He says nothing and gives the fire a little puff of his breath. WHOOOOOOOOOSH! the fire blazes. The paper lights and the boards instantly blaze up. All the fire needed was a little breath to come alive. I picture this like Adam. Everything was all set, the bones, the skins, the organs, all it needed was a little breath of God and WHOOOOOSH, it comes alive. Later, after the fires been going pretty long, it got really hot but sometimes it wouldn’t be burning too much. All you had to do was throw a fresh log and top and it caught fire as it landed. I wish my heart could be like that. So hot that anything or anyone who comes in contact with it will be instantly set ablaze. Make my heart like that.
In other news: Proverbs and Ecclesiastes make for an interesting juxiposition. Proverbs is all about 1) Getting wisdom, 2) Training your son (and/or daughter) 3) Marrying the right kind of wife. (Summarized with the Epilogue). But Ecclesiastes talks about how wisdom is meaningless. After the Bible tells you get wisdom, it tells you how meaningless it is. But these two books are capped with bookends, (ah good ole Bible Literature). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge to Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man. This is what life is all about. Wisdom will get you ahead in this world, but the Fear of God will get you ahead in both.