The Fire is the Gift
- Joe Wood
- Jun 1, 2025
- 2 min read
When we talk about fire, we usually talk about the pain it brings.
How it burns.
How it consumes.
How it leaves us raw and shaking.
But in the quiet after, there’s something else.
There’s a gift.
Not a gift wrapped in pretty paper or tied with a bow.
A gift that’s messy. Unexpected. Honest.
Because fire doesn’t just take—it reveals.
It strips away what was never real.
It forces us to see what we’ve been hiding.
And it shows us what still matters, even after everything else has been reduced to ash.
For me, that’s what writing Journey to Himself was all about.
I wasn’t writing to tell a story.
I was writing to understand the gift that came from my own fire—the gift of clarity, of presence, of finally knowing who I am beneath the armor.
Rhett’s journey is the same.
It’s not about conquering the fire.
It’s about realizing he’s been forged by it—and he’s stronger than he ever knew.
Quote from the Book:
"The fire didn’t just burn. It shaped him. And for the first time, he was grateful."
Reflection:
If you’re in the fire right now, I see you.
It’s okay to be afraid. It’s okay to be unsure.
Just know this:
The fire won’t last forever.
And when it dies down, you’ll find something inside yourself you didn’t know was there.
Maybe that’s the real gift.
Not the burn.
But what you become in the light that follows.
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Have you ever felt the fire leave you both scarred and stronger?
Share your story below.
Or just sit with this for a while—let it speak to the part of you that’s still glowing.
I love this. I really can't wait to read this book.