Friday, March 30, 2012

what the water heat taught me about love

The water runs stone cold from the faucet.  My daughter can’t fill the bathtub.  I can’t do the dishes.  (A disappointment for one –a cause of celebration for the other.)

Matt says, I bet the pilot light is out.

He’s laying down on the cement by the hot water heater.  Yup.  The pilot’s out. 

He tells me to go try turning on the gas stove. 

It works! I yell, and he says the gas supply isn’t the problem, then. 

So I bring the matches, and he follows the steps to light the pilot.  Soon we hear the crackling sound of water heating. 

I ask why the hot water heater would be working fine for months and then all of a sudden the pilot light would go out.  He tells me sometimes there’s a strong backdraft of air that puts it out. 


This morning I woke up and wondered why in the world my heart has felt so…nothing…for people this week. I got down on my knees and asked God to strike a match to my heart. There’s nothing wrong with the source of love. I just need the flame. I can’t maintain the heat of love by myself.



“We know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”  (1 John 4:16) 


Has your love toward someone grown stone cold? Has some backdraft of annoyance or hurtful words or failure to keep a promise swept in and put out the flame?  Get down low on your knees and check the pilot light.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for these encouraging words this morning...when our eyes are continually focusing on God he reveals his truth in the mundane objects...thanks for keeping your eyes open!

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