My Weekend Barbecue

My Weekend Barbecue

Topheth—the place of burning—has long been ready for the Assyrian king;the pyre is piled high with wood.The breath of the LORD, like fire from a volcano,will set it ablaze.

Isaiah 30:33

My mouth watered at the thought of the prime rib. In an hour it would be cooked perfectly—done enough to keep it from mooing but still retaining the natural juices of the fat. I held the sixteen-ouncer up to eye level and examined it. The marbling glistened in the sunshine. Mmm. Poetry in meat. The smell of cooked steak ought to be recognized as the official state flower, I thought.

I took mental inventory. Do I have enough charcoal? Yes. Lighter fluid? Yes. Just one more squirt to help the charcoal light evenly.

Ignoring the vapors that were blurring my view of the neighbor kids’ swing set, I struck the match. There was a huge flash, like ten thousand suns shining in my hand, and then my vision blurred even more. I felt a slight push against my face and chest.

I could smell something cooking, but it was definitely not the prime rib.

You can call the explosion a vision, maybe a warning, but the words of Isaiah 30:33 came instantly to mind. It took a couple of seconds for me to realize that the buzzing noise I heard was the sound of smoke detectors coming from inside the house.

After the emergency medical technicians left, the investigating fire marshal told me, “Next time, use less lighter fluid, and wait thirty seconds to let the fumes exhaust before striking the match.”

“Thanks,” I said, “but I’m buying a smoker. Electric.”

—Al Speegle Jr.

Father God, sometimes we fail to see what’s right in front of us. Help us not to be so blind and to pay closer attention to the people and events around us. Give us wisdom for our daily living. Amen.