“And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32). It is sometimes hard to tell just by looking at them if embers still have any fire left in them. One coal may be cold and lifeless and look identical to another that is still burning fiercely, albeit covered in a dark layer of soot and ash. If we are at the end of a long night of fear and doubts and darkness, when all of our hopes and dreams have turned to ash before our disbelieving eyes, it is not hard to see how we might come to the conclusion that the fire of our covenants has burnt itself out. But just because darkness has descended upon us does not mean that the embers of our testimony do not burn within our hearts still. If we can no longer see the light of our Savior, that does not mean that we can not still feel the warmth of His love for us. The heat from dull embers is no less real just because we can't see the crackling dance of merry flames. In fact, coals are often preferred over open flames for cooking because they give off a more even and constant heat. If circumstances prevent us from letting our light shine, we can still burn from within, holding constant and steadfast to our covenants, embers burning with a steady, reliable heat. We can content ourselves that our Heavenly Father sees our good works in secret, even when no one else can see our light, and that He is preparing for us fuel enough for us to burn and shine brightly once more.
