OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire
#340 Antiques and Angle Grinders
Some years ago, I came to own an antique Guardian
soda fire extinguisher that had been in my grandparents’ attic for many years. Standing
about two and a half feet tall, it is copper with a brass label, and was
manufactured in Brockville ON by the National Mfg Co. Ltd.
When I got it, I was a volunteer
firefighter, so it made a neat addition to my collection of interesting
conversation starters. This vintage piece of equipment was a part of
firefighting history and I was proud to have it.
It was badly tarnished – dull and green - and
despite the fact that it was interesting, it was still unsightly. It occupied a place in our
living room for only a short time, then Jan asked me to do something with it,
and I took it to my church office. When we moved to Manitoba, it remained with
our personal effects in the basement.
Last year I resolved to clean it up. It is
going to take a while, but so far the results are promising with a combination
of techniques including Brasso, a rotary tool, and a polishing wheel. To see a pic, check out my Facebook page or the
blog site at www.onfireletter.blogspot.com
As I stood there polishing the copper and
brass, it reminded me of an important piece of scripture. “If anyone is in
Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2
Corinthians 5:17*)
When we commit ourselves to follow Jesus
Christ, we begin a process of spiritual renewal where He removes the tarnish
and stain of sin. Jesus takes the old, and makes it new. We become transformed.
That sounds like polishing to me.
It is going to take a while to finish
cleaning up the extinguisher because some stains and marks are deeper than
others. So also in our lives. It is a
process. This is important personally, and as we regard others. We must be
patient as some issues, problems, concerns, and even sins, sometimes take time
to overcome. A few of these might not be complete until we meet Jesus, but yet we
continue to have faith that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on
to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)
And as we regard others, it is important to
remember that they, too, are works in progress. It is all too easy to be
judgmental when someone struggles in an area I have overcome. Patience and grace are important as we
consider others.
Jesus is in the process of taking our
tarnish and transforming it into something shiny and bright.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a letter on faith and character
written by Troy Dennis. Married to Jan, Troy is a chaplain in the Canadian
Armed Forces, and has more than 20 years of pastoral experience. This letter
published Jan 30, 2016. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com.
Blog located at www.onfireletter.blogspot.com
