I have a question. Nothing more, nothing less, just one question. “Why?” … “Why God?” … “Why now?” “I’ve held on… I’ve kept my promise”… “I didn’t give up… I’ve loved you and your people”… “My hands, heart, and mind have been yours” … “Why now?” Those were the thoughts and the questions that lingered and haunted my mind. I didn’t ask God “Why me?” because I’ve learned that in everyone’s journey through life, we are faced with moments that break us, moments that are designed to reconstruct the essence of that which we truly are. What I DID ask (without knowing the austerity of my thinking) was “Why now?”
I now see that the last few years of triumphs and failures have educated me and conditioned my heart and mind for something beyond my current understanding. My “Why now?” was answered in the most unexpected and illuminating way. God answered me with… a prescribed burn… also known to a farmer as a “burn-off.”
Driving through the Midwest, I looked out onto the beautiful fields in Nebraska. I saw what seemed to be a straight line of fire connecting to another that continued to form a very large rectangle. Many acres of land went up in flames. Since the lines made up such a perfect shape, I was inclined to believe it was intentional. I saw trucks parked around the fire as people watched the fields burn. I was intrigued and curious as to why they would intentionally produce a fire that I always believed caused more harm than good.
So I began to research what exactly was the purpose of this fire. I learned that farmers burn their fields by hiring a ‘Burn Boss’ to supervise the burn. The burn is initiated to remove weeds and unwanted plants that are already growing and to help the crop or plant that is about to surface. These burns are called prescribed burns because they are used to improve the health of the field. Prescribed fires help reduce the catastrophic damage of wildfire on our lands and surrounding communities by safely reducing excessive amounts of brush, shrubs, and trees. A hazard reduction fire.
WHY: Prescribed burning is used for a variety of reasons. One of the most notable burning benefits is maintaining the health of an existing natural area and helping restore nutrients that help cultivate more desirable plant growth.
As I watched in awe this massive field ablaze, I could see that although the land had given its fruit, produced crops, and been through lush seasons of growth, cold winters, and plentiful harvests, it was ready for a burn.
In our lives, we face devastating, heartbreaking, and grievous moments that slow down time so much that the pain seems eternal. Sometimes these moments are brought on by catastrophic self-inflicting decisions, and other times painful situations just randomly happen. As painful as that might sound, it makes sense to the person in that moment. These moments become our “burns.” Burns that provoke an inner conflict, a struggle between the heart and the mind. Two completely different compartments that make up the person we are, constantly at war with each other. One is given to us to acquire intellect and reasoning, and the other to feel the tangible and intangible world around us, producing emotions that help us love stronger or despise deeper.
Despite these painful experiences, God uses these seasons to burn us. We encounter an overwhelming amount of pain that brings us to our knees, or for others, takes us off our knees and thrusts us into a tailspin. Where our prayers are no longer words but tears and utterances we can barely let out. These burns or seasons are a guide to discovering a strength untapped. A strength that is revealed and surfaces when, and ONLY when, you are stripped of what you thought was “strong.” It’s a new strong, a strong that isn’t you anymore…but HIM. Finally, the “you” that was “strong” is burned away so that the true strength can take its place. This is preparing and empowering you for something beyond what you thought was possible. God said, “…my strength is made perfect in your weakness.” Sometimes, where we think we are strong, is our weakest point, and embracing our weakness is only the beginning.
When I was a little girl, my mom would always tell me, “timing is everything.” The answer to my “Why now?” came from seeing the true beauty in the burn… the timing. Prescribed burns must have meticulously calculated timing. The right conditions for a burn are crucial for its success. A farmer wants to burn in what is called “Goldilocks” conditions. Everything needs to be just right. If it’s too windy, the fire can escape easily. If there’s no wind, the fire can be unpredictable. If the field is too dry, it may burn out of control, but if the field is too wet, it may not burn at all. The plants in the field have to be at the right stage of growth, or the fire won’t do them any good. Wind direction, temperature, and soil moisture are paramount. There may only be a few hours out of the whole year when conditions are ideal for a burn.
Timing is what creates the masterpiece. The timing of the pain you are facing and have faced is perfect in its placement. Like the field, the beauty of this season lies in the perfect condition you are in. The seasons that have come and gone prepared you for this burn. Like the farmer, we must know that at any moment the winds can change, and at the right moment, the prescribed burn will take its course for your good. For the good that you are unable to see. Making way for the best within you to begin to surface.
You are always standing in the middle of THE plan. It only takes the right perspective to see it. To step into something you’ve never experienced before, you are going to break into places you’ve never been broken before. There will be moments when God will see we are ready for a new burn, a burn that will condition us for what’s to come so that we can have real growth and meaningful prosperity. There is a passionate being that is developing in the fire. Your prescribed burn will bring focus, a focus that is amplified by pain. Smile and welcome these moments because the world needs the refined version of you that is coming out of the fire like GOLD.
