Refiner's Fire

If you look in vain for a new blog from me, please assume that it's a problem with blogger.com, not that I've gotten sick. Both Saturday and Sunday it was very hard to get my blog posted. We'll see how it goes this morning.

The exquisite beauty of the blue sky, colored leaves, layered mountains and gentle weather we enjoyed yesterday afternoon combined to make the day a thrill. And the music! We heard musicians Brian Gurl, Lenny Ski, a drummer, guitarist, and a couple of vocalists in a 2 1/2 hour concert at Altapass Orchard on the Blue Ridge Parkway. (We've heard Brian many times--always with pleasure.) Guests filled the dance floor, many of them wearing mountain clogging shoes. We could only admire their skill.

Yesterday's reading in Streams in the Desert was based on Malachi 3:3, "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." Any one of us finds the fire getting hot at times, and this poem gives it meaning.

He sat by a fire of sevenfold heat,
As He looked at the precious ore,
And closer He bent with a searching gaze
As He heated it more and more.
He knew He had ore that could stand the test,
And He wanted the finest gold
To mold as a crown for the King to wear,
Set with gems with a price untold.

So He laid our gold in the burning fire,
Though we would have asked for delay,
And He watched the dross that we had not seen,
As it melted and passed away.
And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright,
But our eyes were so dim with tears,
We saw but the fire--not the Master's hand,
And questioned with anxious fears.

Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow,
As it mirrored a Form above,
That bent o'er the fire, though unseen by us,
With a look of unspeakable love.
Should we think that it pleases His loving heart
To cause us a moment's pain?
Not so! for He saw through the present cross
The joy of eternal gain.

So He waited there with a watchful eye,
With a love that is strong and sure,
And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat,
Than was needed to make it pure.

So many friends are feeling the fire these days; I hope you can trust the love of the Refiner's heart.

Love,
Carol