preaching to yourself in a historical drought

I parked our golf cart in the middle of one of our partially dried out fields, to remember the caress of 80 degrees blowing over this cracked earth. Yesterday, the cold front came in as a reminder that all fiery trials come to an end, eventually.

We had went to our small fellowship, called church, just that morning. And a friend said the very thing I'd done all week: "I have to preach to myself".

I don't know how to be unified to this Body we're called to be bound to, in peace. My flesh doesn't want to die, it longs to live and live strong.

But we're called to the cross, to carry it daily. Not so much for it's burden but for it's hanging. Our flesh needs reminding of its daily crucifixation.

So I preach to myself.

I need the nail of Grace to pierce me so unity may resurrect. I need death in pride and divisive thoughts, to be lowly and gently. But I can't do these. Else, I'd take the credit and make my flesh stronger.

I'm a failure at Grace if done on my own.  I can only surrender myself up to the power of One and that means paying a price.

Because dying doesn't come naturally, but by the Spirit, alone.

We only need to endeavor toward the chains of peace, allowing His power to do the rest. Bondage is a sacrifice and we are to walk worthy of it's call.

"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:1-3

Between the morning church gathering and the evening golf cart ride, high winds from the cold front kicked up a fire only feet from a friend's house. The local fire department and ones from neighboring counties combined their forces to battle the blaze.

Why do we rally a united front only in the face of disaster? Why do we resist unity when we're at peace, to only strive with one another? Why is it in the face of death and destruction we collectively fight for some rescuing cause?

My husband said to me, this week: "There'll always be division in the Body, because we only know in part. We can't deny or ignore it. " Yet we aren't called to leave it there and go on living like that.

He said there's only one way to bridge the gap, to cross over divides and chasm of opinions. He held up two hands on opposing sides of his body and started connecting the right hand over to the left hand like it was jumping over the Grand Canyon for both hands to hold eachother in unity. He said there's only one possible way to come together.

Love.

By the Spirit which counsels us in Love, this is the glue which covers a multitude of sins or differences. But in the end days, love will grow cold, not just in the world but in the church. And so we must always endeavor to gage our love. We must pull out the dip stick of our hearts and see the measure of it.

We must stir up the flames of Love before the embers burn out.

Because it takes more than a burning bush to bring people together.

It takes a flaming drought in our flesh to burn up every seed and blade of our desire to keep Love burning bright and together. It takes a raging fire across our souls to bring a Body together. It takes a supernatural rescue to face the flames and let Love burn high and hot.

And I preach it to myself, again.

"..Whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." Ephesians 4:15 and 16

 At Laura's place today...

At EE's....