For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
EPHESIANS 2:10
All across the country, thousands of people work in wildland firefighting every year. Workers stop a wildfire by digging a fire line around it. All plant material is cleared out of the fire line, right down to mineral soil. When the fire reaches the line, it has no fuel and the flames die down.
Sometimes a fire line can be cleared quickly with a bulldozer, but often the terrain requires people using hand tools. Most of the work is done using shovels and specialized pickaxes called Pulaskis. Each swing of the Pulaski or scoop of the shovel clears away potential fuel for the fire. If the conditions are right, firefighters may do a back burn, setting a smaller fire between the fire line and the wildfire. It burns up the fuel, reducing the risk that the fire could blow past the fire line.
Eventually every fire goes out. Sometimes this can be done in a day; other fires continue to burn until the rains come or the snow falls.
Like fighting a wildfire, following God is a process. Sometimes the tasks before us can be overwhelming. However, when we take small steps and work steadily, we can accomplish a lot and know that others are blessed by our efforts.
Sometimes we may need to wait patiently for others to help us, as when firefighters wait for a plane or helicopter to drop fire retardant or water. Other times, we just have to wait for a situation to resolve itself, as when the firefighters build a line quite some distance from the fire and wait for just the right time to start a back burn.
Since we can’t see into the future, we rely on the One who not only knows what will happen but when. The time we spend waiting on the Lord can seem endless, but during the waiting we grow closer to Him.