I love this image:
A dry scrubby shrub, just standing there as if it could do anything more, upon which God bestows the Fire of His Spirit to attract the attention of a curious meandering shepherd…. to speak from its branches …to invite and ignite one who had no idea the ways in which that same Fire of His Spirit would whip up a flame in him, as well, to blaze without being consumed….. a small unbundled handful of kindling used to spark a bonfire that would engulf the walls of the Enemy’s prison fortress and even parch a path through a roiling sea to clear a path to freedom for his people.
In 1992, I attended a retreat. At the end of the weekend we were asked to share what the weekend had meant to us and what we were going to do with it. I recall saying that I felt like my whole life I had been gathering and stacking up wood and, finally now, the fire had been lit! I was, and have remained, afire for the Lord. Like the proverbial bush which burns but is not consumed, such can be our lives…..attracting others to the Light.
Recently, in a small gathering for a particular ministry purpose, several people were there whom I had recruited and asked to be a part of this effort. When the time came to introduce ourselves to one another and tell what we do, three of them said, “I’m (name given) and I work for Cathy Byrd.” Everyone laughed, since everyone knows I don’t have any employees.
The leader of the group said, “We’re happy to have Cathy’s shrubs here..” I am grateful to those who join with me in ministry activities and pray that others do see us as a burning bush!