Sittin' by a fire...

Lately, it seems I have been cooking over a fire more often. In the last two weeks, I have grilled burgers, chicken, pork steaks and brats. I have cooked panini sandwiches, roasted marshmallows, and made banana boats over an open fire. We even had cobbler in a dutch oven over coals. It has been a delicious time of year.  Cooking over a fire always seems to be a relationship-building time. Whether it's guys chatting around a grill, or family making panini’s or even the kids roasting marshmallows, a fire always seems to gather people together. There is something very communal about a warm fire and good food. Around a warm fire people seem to relax, and let the burdens of the day melt in the warm glow of the embers. Conversations seem to be easier and deeper when friends and family sit around a fire.

It seems evident that Christ knew about this phenomenon. This time of year I am often drawn to the story in John 21 where Peter and some of the other apostles head out to fish. After an evening of catching nothing, a person from the shore encourages the men to fish on the other side of the boat. They do, and the catch they haul in is larger than any man has ever seen. In the story, John recognizes that this person on the shore is Jesus, but Peter jumps in the water to get to shore quickly and greets his teacher. On the beach nearby Jesus has made breakfast for them over an open fire. I imagine this is very familiar to the apostles who traveled with Jesus for three years. This is not the first meal they have shared over an open fire with Jesus. This particular meal takes on a deeper meaning when the Master asks Peter to feed his sheep three times.  The same number of times Peter denied him on the night he was betrayed. 

Peter found some real healing by the fire. I wonder how our souls can be healed and changed this weekend around a fire with our family. Let God lead you this weekend, see how you may be changed.