Alone

 Last night I went outside to put something in the recycling bin. It was so beautiful outside, I didn’t want to go inside. The air was crisp as the sun was starting to set. I wandered over to the edge of the yard where I had tucked a broken freestanding swing into the wooded side of our fence line. After some dismantling, I tossed a few pieces of wood from the frame into the backyard and sent out the call that we were having a fire. 

Clinton has been begging me to go out for a fire several times a week, all summer. I love sitting around the fire pit, but I despise the heat of summer. The combination of heat from the fire and the hot humidity in the air is enough to make me run for the hills. But last night, the first cool night of the new season, was the perfect opportunity for me to answer the call.

The kids came out with me and helped me to get the fire going, initially. The little boys tried to roast mini-marshmallows for a little while, but they lost interest quickly and ran to the trampoline. Eventually they went inside. The girls stayed until the cardboard was gone, and they split too. I really enjoyed sitting in the cool air taking in the crackling fire and listening to the sounds of night.

Scarlette came back out after a few minutes and said, “Well, I couldn’t just leave you out here by yourself!” I assured her that I was fine to sit alone. She went back in to watch TV, but tossed a concerned look over her shoulder before she closed the door.

I don’t spend much time alone in a typical day, and sometimes that wears on me. I find myself lonely for alone time. It was a sweet blessing to have a few quiet minutes by the fire last night. 

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/bible/111/jas.1.17.niv