A Chimney Sweep Steps In Just In Time

Recently we removed our gas logs so we could have a real, crackling fire in the fireplace. The first time we lit a fire, smoke started filling the room. I was coughing and sputtering, shouting for my husband to do something.

The flue was open, but a down draft seemed to keep pushing smoke back into our den.

Before, when we used the gas logs, we had begun to smell gas each time we ignited them, but no carbon monoxide was ever identified after checking our home for CO2 levels.

This past year was the 50th anniversary of one of my favorite Disney movies, Mary Poppins. I love the chimney sweep song, Step In Time. Watching that scene over and over through the years, I never dreamed a real Chimney Sweep would step into my home at just the right time.

(And no. His name was not Dick Van Dyke.) 

On the outside, our fireplace is beautiful. It was just freshly painted and not a drop of soot can be seen. No one would have ever known there was a problem unless a fire was burning. To render our cinder problem, an inspection had to be done. The chimney could not accomplish what it was designed to do until the hinderance was searched out, found, and removed.

A down draft was part of the culprit because of a crack in the fire wall. But, a more intense search allowed the Chimney Sweep to discover another significant problem that needed immediate attention.

My sweet, wonderful father-in-law was always a DIY kind of guy. He could "fix" anything he set his mind to including keeping birds and bats out of the chimney. His idea to cover the top of the chimney opening with chicken wire to keep pests out really did work.

Sort of.

Trapped on top of the chicken wire was debris of various sorts. Bird nesting materials of pine needles, leaves and sticks had molded into a large, charred mud brick, completely blocking the chimney opening. The amount of debris filled a five gallon bucket.

No smoke was flowing up or out of that mess.

To put this all in perspective, our chimney has been a fire hazard just waiting to ignite. But for the grace of God, even with the gas logs burning and the CO2 escaping into the house, we are fine, healthy and safe.


This reminds me of how our spiritual lives can become quite hazardous if we don't consistently have a heart sweep to remove the sin debris and clogs, freeing up the flow of the Holy Spirit to powerfully work in and through our lives.


By not dealing with our sin debris, it can reek havoc forming a hardness of heart towards the things of God, resulting in relationship breakdown. Sin hinders our up-flow of pure praise and thanksgiving, tainting our pleasing, life aroma offering, rising up to a holy God.




Sin also clogs the out-flow of His love into the lives of others. When we aren't clean before the Lord, our light in the world is dim. Our salt becomes less flavorful and hinders the preservation of truth. Until we have a heart sweep by the Holy Spirit, our impact for Christ is hampered.

As vessels to be poured out for God's glory, we don't want to waste what little time we have to spill Him out to be hindered by sin debris and clogs.

How about you? Are you experiencing a breakdown in your relationship with Christ? Do the things of God seem not to stir your soul? Have you become hardhearted because of a particular sin habit?

If you answered, "Yes," it's never too late to ask the Father for a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit to sweep through your heart. God wants to safeguard our hearts from sin, keeping our relationship with Him open and free flowing to complete the work already begun in us.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10 NKJV).

My Pleasure,
Melanie