dailydatewithgod

In general the thoughts about smoke are not positive. Smoking is bad for you.  Being surrounded by smoke at any time is not a good place to be.  With all the fires in the LA area right now it is a surreal experience being outside.  The air is smokey and while I have experienced being much closer to the fires in the past, this feels different.  In the past I was in an area where the wind was stronger and there was a lot of ash falling around like snow. It had an apocalyptic nature to it. Gratefully, I have never been so close to the fire as to fear for my safety, I have known many who have and who lost everything, I can only imagine how hard that is.  My heart and prayer go out to all who are experiencing that right now.  Smoke is a signal.  A signal of fire. That is the positive side of it.  It can serve as a warning.  Smoke is also used in religious ceremony and the way in which it travels has an ethereal nature to it.  Smoke is also connected to cleansing, spiritual cleansing.  I have burned sage and moved the smoke around a particular place before praying and meditating.  Like most things in life, nothing is entirely good or entirely bad.  It is the message that is being sent or interpreted that makes the distinction.  The smoke of our lives can be whatever we are using to cloud ourselves from our reality or keep ourselves from fully breathing in.  The smoke of our lives can be a signal of something we need to take a look at. The smoke of our lives can also be the opportunity to prepare ourselves to be in a space of communion with God.  It is up to us to determine what it means for us in any given moment..