Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Timothy 1:6 (New International Version)

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

What a great phrase – fan into flame.

I have a confession to make, a confession of a 50-something year old man acting like a little boy. I have a big magnifying glass, about 6″ in diameter. I have a lot of brown dry leaves in my back yard in the fall. I also have a lot of clear, sunny days in the fall. Do you know where this is going? Yes, I make a small pile of dry leaves, hit the leaves with a magnified spot of sun, and fan the smoldering leaves into a flame. I hope my daughter-in-law doesn’t read this as she may never let me play with my grandson again.

I read this verse and I feel myself blowing on the ember in the pile of leaves. I blow and wave and fan and a flame erupts in the leaves. I am thrilled – even at my age.

How thrilled was Paul to see Timothy’s gifts erupt? How thrilled is God when he sees what he gives us erupt into something more?