Hi! 

My name is Raul, and this is my first blog post. I started this blog because I want to share stories that are encouraging and that give you hope. So, as an introduction, I would like to share with you the story that inspired me to start this blog:

“By Way of Introduction”

Just as dusk was falling, I came, one summer evening, on a circular clearing in the bush,

Overgrown with Heath and Hyacinths, Bracken and Burrs. On a pair branch of a giant blue gum, a pair of jackasses were laughing to their hearts’ content. Beside a fireplace that he had fashioned of a few rough stones, a bronzed and bearded swagman was sitting on a fallen tree fern, enjoying his evening meal. We were soon talking of everything under the sun-The Dorsetshire village in which he was born; The feverish gold rush that lured him overseas; And the wayward Gipsyings of later days. As we gossiped aside the dying embers, the sky became pyrotechnic with wildfire. It gleamed from every point of the compass. In the vivid radiance of each flash, every stick and stone around us stood out as clearly as at noon.

‘Goin far?’ I inquired.

‘I must make Wombat Creek tonight!’

‘A dark trudge,‘ I observed; ‘ It’ll take you all your time to keep the track’

‘Oh yes’ he replied with a smile, as he rose, picked up his belly, humped his swag and lit his pipe, ‘But a few wisps of wildfire will light things up a bit!’

My Australian swagman is not the only pilgrim on the planet who has to follow a tortuous track in a poor light. It may be-who knows?-That a stray sentence somewhere in these pages will enable some uncertain wayfarer to discern more clearly the obscure path from which, in his confusion, he otherwise might have wondered.

Frank W. Boreham

Armadale, Melbourne, Australia

Easter, 1924

(From Wisps of Wildfire by F.W. Boreham)

F.W. Boreham was a Christian pastor from England from the early 1900s. He became a pastor at a young age, which led him to take a pastoring role in New Zealand, and eventually in Tasmania and Australia. As he pastored he discovered that improving his ability to write allowed him to be better at sharing the good news of Jesus, so he continued doing it. Boreham was a brilliant observer and explorer. In his books he talks about the beautiful and raw landscapes of the Australian and Tasmanian countryside. He shares strange occurrences that happened among his church congregations, and he often drew deep insights from ordinary events in his life. 

Boreham decided to write down and share his observations and stories and experiences because he saw value in what he learned and he wanted to give that to others. In his writings Boreham is encouraging, challenging and even funny. Everything came to him from simply observing the world around him, and looking through the lens of his faith. He hoped his writings would be, just like the title of the book states, like “Wisps of Wildfire” to light the way for anyone trudging in the darkness of life. 

I really like that feeling. The feeling of being lost and wondering what to do next and seeking and going from one source to the next in the hopes of finding a little bit of light so that I can know where to take the next step, and suddenly, through the words of a friend, or through a sentence in a book, or a clipping of a magazine pinned to a wall, the light comes. Clarity comes. It really does feel like a flash. It’s the same as when one lights a match in a dark room and for that instant, when the flame first bursts to life, everything is lit up. 

As I am writing this, I am sitting next to the swimming pool in my apartment complex. It’s a nice sunny Spring evening. Everything is bright around me. I can see everything. It’s strange to me how our hearts and minds are not like that. In nature we have daytime and night time. When darkness comes we know it will end, and soon the sun and light and clarity will come again. Not so in our hearts. It seems that the clarity of day is rare for our hearts, and so it is for our minds, and for our soul. 

The first time I really experienced this feeling of clarity was when I read a book by John Eldredge called Waking the Dead. I don’t remember who it was that gave me that book, or how it came to my hands, but I know that I needed it. The opening story tells of the author finding himself being caught in a storm while riding a small airplane that is about to run out of fuel over the Alaskan wilderness. He tells of his frustration for having agreed to come on this ride, looking for some mountains that seemed to be nowhere, and for risking his life for nothing. At the beginning of the story, nothing made sense. Frustration and fear are the main emotions, and purpose is absent.

Suddenly, the storm ceases, and the sky opens up to reveal the mountain range where Mt. Fairweather is found. Mt. Fairweather is one of the tallest peaks in North America. Eldredge goes on to describe the beauty of the mountains and the glaciers. He talks about the colors and the scale of it all, but then he focuses on the joy that came from having clarity about what it was that he was doing. Suddenly he knew why he was where he was. That’s clarity, isn’t it?

Reading that story was like hearing a bell that woke me from a stupor. Yes! Clarity is missing and I want it!

When I was in college, at age 19, I got paired with a mentor named Andrew. This was the first time that I had experienced such direct leadership outside of my parents and it was life changing. He primarily listened to me. He listened to my dreams, my goals, my situations, and my plans. Then he asked me questions that were challenging. He was brilliant in that he rarely gave me answers, but rather, his questions were so good that when I arrived at a conclusion I could make a decision with confidence. And lastly, he was encouraging. He never belittled me for my naive ideas or incomplete views or beliefs. Rather, he saw the good and he pulled it out further.

Andrew’s encouragement, and his patience, and guidance gave me clarity. Through Andrew, and a few other people that came into my life during my college years, I discovered that encouragement is something that will always be necessary in our world. Encouragement is so necessary because it brings clarity. When my vision is blurry, and when I can’t see what next step to take, someone else’s words and perspective can light the way. They were the Wisps of Wildfire in my path.

I wanted to start this blog because I wanted to share encouragement through the experiences I’ve had. I have gotten to experience some really cool things in my life. I grew up as a missionary kid. My parents traveled all over Mexico sharing the gospel. We went to some very uncomfortable places and to some very fun and pretty places. When we moved to the United States we continued to do that. And now, as an adult, I have continued to explore this wonderful world that God has given us through traveling, and through trying new things out.

So far, I have been blessed with the experience of having lived in three different countries with three different cultures, and I have been blessed with being in different situations of various levels of economic standards. I’ve also been blessed with being in many different roles in the workplace, everything from cleaning bathrooms, to taking care of sheep and donkeys, to working in a plush office in Liechtenstein. I’ve also tried and failed my hand at three businesses. In all of this I’ve tried to be observant and to write stuff down. 

At the time of this writing I am 33 years old, already a third of my life done (hopefully), and still so so much to discover. So many new things in life to try, and along with that so many new things to face. Facing new things is always scary. The world we live in is tough. Yet, I keep coming back to a bright perspective often because of the many people who have given me their counsel and guidance. 

The writings of F.W. Boreham have been that for me. It is such a relief when we are going through some difficult situation and we are able to meet someone who has already gone through it and made it safely to the other side. Often, even with Jesus, clarity is hard to come by. The excerpt at the beginning of this post really was refreshing to read because it reminds me that clarity, though not always present, is possible. 

The writings of Boreham also encouraged me to share all of the clarity I’ve experienced with you. Some of my stories are just too much fun not to share, but I think some of them contain quite a bit of truth and encouragement that might be useful for someone out there. Still, some others are a way of bringing encouragement and clarity to myself. 

I continue to need clarity every day. Often I feel that same sensation that John Eldredge talked about. What is the point of all of this? I don’t have it all figured out. I need resolutions to the issues that I have to face. I need to keep coming back to truth, I need to process the stuff inside, and I need to keep pursuing the good. That’s where sifting through the stories I have, lets me see the ever-present hand of God moving. That’s where the words of people like Andrew come in. That’s where an essay from F.W. Boreham comes in. Slowly, through all of this, Clarity comes. 

I do not claim to be a guide to anyone, but I do hope my words can be wisps of wildfire to you. If there is any way that what I write here can help make your life easier, or better, or if there is any comfort that I can offer, like the comfort that Jesus Christ has offered me, then I have reached my goal.

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I hope you have a fantastic day!

See you in the next one!

Cheers!

P.S. This is my first shot at writing anything. If you see some spelling or grammatical errors please gently guide me to a better way.