Coal Dust
©Ray Waugh, Jr.
The coal bucket
beside the old pot-bellied stove
sitting in the center of the country store,
surrounded by rickety chairs, and beat up boxes
provides many reasons for giving
thanks to the Lord.
The Lord made the coal.
The Lord makes the ashes.
The Lord preserves life by the warmth of the fire.
There are many sides to life. God gives each of us
the opportunity to appreciate
the ash,
the fire, and
the coal…
From the darkness of the earth, to the fire in the
stove, to the rising of the heat . . .
Yes, like people I know, coal is much more than
the obviously dirty, dusty chunks