Fire Restrictions
The breeze blew steadily through our house, in the front set of windows and out the back. Occasionally, it came in stronger gusts, and the leaves of our trees fluttered at their mercy. The temperature had found that elusive place of perfectly comfortable, and we enjoyed the evening as the sun made its slow descent behind the mountains. The boys began asking for s’mores, and my husband obliged since nice weather makes the experience much more enjoyable for parents responsible for 95% of the process.
John went out back, dragged our copper firepit to the center of the yard, and began to fill it with wood. Upon lighting, the fire grew, consuming the dried wood, and we watched as the flames flickered with the wind. We got out the graham crackers and chocolate and handed our older sons a marshmallow-topped stick, and they went out back to roast them. When they came inside, we stacked their s’mores, and they crunched into the crackers with gooey marshmallow and chocolate oozing out the sides.
Soon, there was a knock at the door. My husband answered while I peeked out the window and was surprised by a fire truck. The man at the door introduced himself as the fire marshal and let us know that someone had called in a complaint about our family’s evening activities. He asked what we were doing, and though still confused at why he and a few firefighters were on our doorstep, we managed to answer that we were making s’mores. The marshal asked if he could see our fire, and we obliged. He was very kind and said everything looked fine, but he asked that we keep the mesh lid over the fire when not actively roasting marshmallows, and suggested keeping a hose close by because the wind was a hazard and our city was under level 1 fire restrictions. He ended with a few more instructions regarding what to do when the fire died down, things we always did. “Sure thing,” we told them. As he and the other firefighters left, they offered to run the lights and sirens, and my sons had a blast waving and watching them roll away from our house.
While I don’t like feeling reprimanded for the simple act of making s’mores, whoever called the fire department made the right decision, it was important to verify that our fire was safe. You see, one of the best features of our home is that it backs up to a large field and gives us an unobstructed view out our windows. The majority of the year, our field is filled with dried grass, which makes a fire on a windy day risky. All it takes is a stray spark, an ember lifted by the wind, landing among the dried grass and setting the field ablaze, to threaten all of our homes.
Fire in itself isn’t a bad thing; it’s incredibly useful. It warms homes, provides light, cooks food, purifies and sterilizes metal, creates propulsion, and even makes art. Fire is pretty amazing but used irresponsibly, fire is dangerous, and its consequences can be devastating. It’s no wonder the Bible compares the tongue to a fire in James 3. Our words are important, necessary, and a privilege of being human, but they can be as destructive as fire. Used irresponsibly and left unchecked, they can destroy homes, families, and communities. And I think that’s the challenge of believers every single day, to check ourselves and make sure that we aren’t throwing sparks into the wind. James 3:9-10 says of the tongue, “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”
As someone prone to “over,” I over-think, over-analyze, and yes, over-talk. But like my backyard fire pit, I need to keep a lid on it. I don’t mean the type of lid that smothers my gift and my freedom, but the kind that allows it to burn while keeping the dangerous sparks contained. Allowing the Holy Spirit to be my filter keeps the flames from reaching out to places they don’t belong, preventing me from unintentionally damaging the people around me. I can love my neighbors by controlling my fires and my tongue.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalms 19:14
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” James 1:9
