"Tried by Fire"

The radio was on, and cruise control was fully engaged when I saw it. I had been driving for hours on rural Highway 27 when the black smoke and raging fire came into view. The agricultural fields that surround Lake Okeechobee were ablaze and the other drivers did not seem alarmed at the sight. My inquisitive nature got the best of me, and I stopped at the very next town to conduct my "research." After peppering the locals with questions, I learned that this practice begins during the fall. Farmers burn sugarcane crops to remove the leaves and tops of the sugarcane plant, making the stalks easier to harvest. Although the practice is highly controversial, agricultural burning is an effective method of removing excess residue, facilitating timely planting, and controlling pests and weeds that threaten the annual crop.

In fact, prescribed burning is a common agricultural practice. It removes the old (dead) vegetation to allow space for new growth. It also balances the soil, shifting nutrients and creating a more welcoming environment for new species. Invasive species management is one of the most important uses of prescribed fire. One detail that really caught my attention was the fact that prescribed burns stop invasive species dead in their tracks. This is significant because invasive species frequently outpace native plants and can take over ecosystems. Fire functions as the great equalizer, permitting native species to re-establish. So many unproductive things compete for our attention and threaten to stunt our growth. Maybe it is the invasive species of a nonstop negative news cycle or months of record-breaking heat that have sapped your energy. Restoration always follows the fire.

September is known as Harvest Month, but the ancient Romans associated September with fire. As I thought about the theme for this month, I considered the obvious fact that the September 11th tragedy is seared into our collective memory; the moment is just as fresh today as when I held my two-month-old son in my arms, transfixed and unable to comprehend the horror unfolding on national television. So, after the fire, what remains? In ancient times, refining involved a craftsman sitting next to a hot fire with molten gold in a crucible being stirred and skimmed to remove the impurities or traces of other metals. These would rise to the surface, leaving only the highest quality of gold behind. Although 911 highlighted our national blind spots, it also gave rise to a rebirth of human empathy and unity. After trials, we become wiser, as individuals and as a nation.

Perhaps, you are experiencing post-pandemic burnout. Sometimes, the blessing is buried underneath the ashes. I cover eight ways that this unwelcome storm has brought balance into our lives in chapter 13 of Storm Chasers. But after the dust settles, we rise like a phoenix. When we walk through fire, we shed the nonessential and emerge with a renewed sense of urgency and purpose. After a season of turmoil, we re-evaluate who we will choose to trust. It is unsettling that the 911 hijackers could live among us and take flight lessons in our schools without ever raising a red flag. And yet, here we are, in good company. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss that lives in infamy. Jesus walks through every fire with us and we develop a purity and authenticity that cannot be achieved in a utopian state. Don't run from the fire. Use it to illuminate your path and allow the heat to mold you into His image.

I Peter 1:7 (TLB)

These trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests gold and purifies it—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold; so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of his return.