I can’t seem to resist taking a picture when sitting by a campfire. There’s something about the experience that I want to capture and remember, but for which a photo is a poor substitute. I do it anyway.
When I was a brand new Christian, one of the songs that was popular at the time went like this:
It only takes a spark to get a fire going
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.
That’s how it is with God’s love,
Once you’ve experienced it,
You spread His love to everyone;
You want to pass it on.
To be honest, I found it a little cringy and kinda sappy, but enjoyed singing it with others. It’s the kind of song that takes up residence in your head and refuses to leave. All these years later, it’s still there in a dusty place in the attic like a family relic. And now that I’ve taken it out and dusted it off, it’s not so bad. It’s a very earnest expression of that desire to share God’s love, a desire I remember so well as a new Christian. I haven’t lost that desire in all these years, either.
When we were engaged, I started going to church with my fiancé (now my husband). If we weren’t sitting too close to anyone, he would sometimes lean over, take whatever hymn we were singing, and squeeze the lyrics of “It Only Takes a Spark” into it, which never failed to give me the giggles. Yes, we were young once.
People used to like to tell ghost stories or creepy stories about escaped convicts around a campfire – I wonder if that’s still a thing. Ugh. Definitely not for me. I just enjoy sitting at a campfire, feeling all the campfire vibes, and moving my chair occasionally when the smoke begins to come right into my face. We used to do s’mores, but there comes an time when a large sticky gooey marshmallow loses its appeal. That time has come.
What do you like about campfires?
It only takes a spark to get a blog post burning….
Lynniebeemuseoday 
Oh my goodness! I love the photo! That song was one of the first (and one of my favorites) as a young Christian. For me it also gives the campfire vibe. Even before becoming a Christian, campfires meant camp, singing songs around the fire. The vibe still hasn’t left me.
If you (and others who read your blog) were to come down this way, we could have a campfire in our driveway, backyard or better yet, in our woods. We could sing all the songs. S’mores optional!
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I forgot to mention singing songs around the campfire – a wonderful tradition! I was kind of hard on that one song, but I used to enjoy singing it with fellow believers. ❤️. It brings back good memories. Wouldn’t it be fun to gather around a campfire and sing some of those old songs? Our God Reigns… King Jesus is All… I Love You Lord, and I Lift My Voice… S’mores optional! 😄. 🔥
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I have a large folder, thick with those songs!
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Next time we get together, that folder needs to be present. Sing!
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Yay!
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i do remember that song from my college days!! We have had a lot of singing around the campfire days in our family. The most memorable campfire we’ve had though was with some friends who lived next to a farm….(the pastor at a county church and his wife), and also a Lutheran school teacher and his wife, also a teacher, were with us. We would get together quite often for campfires. This particular night stands out though. It was a beautiful evening. You can really see the stars away from the city lights. We were visiting, laughing, singing, etc. but we were all of a sudden hearing noises of something or someone walking nearby and some chomping sound. Someone shown their flashlight along a nearby fence and there were about 10 cows lined up with their heads over the fence staring at us and chewing their cud. I always wished I could paint a picture of that …..but it is etched in my memory. The cows were enjoying the campfire as much as we were.
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What a great story of a memorable evening at a campfire! I can just see those cows staring at you all. Sounds like a funny moment!
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