Nature’s Christmas gift to us was snow, compacted ice, and a week’s worth of below-freezing temperatures. Nothing like a bit of excitement to ring in the New Year!
As entertaining as it was, we all looked forward to getting back to “normal.” Mail delivery once again. Wouldn’t that be nice. Garbage pick-up once again. Wouldn’t that be nice. Amazon package delivery once again. Wouldn’t that be nice.
Finally … the temps began to climb up above 32 degrees! All the way to 40 degrees! A heat wave! And the rains came! Rain, rain, and more rain!
This will wash it all away in no time. Can’t wait to “get back to normal.”
But even with warmer temperatures … even with all the rain … that thick layer of compacted ice on our neighborhood backroads continued to remain a slick treacherous glaze.
It took days for the ice to melt!
I was intrigued watching the slow-melt. And it made me ponder how similar it is to the work of the Holy Spirit when it comes to melting cold hard hearts to draw people to Christ.
It took days and days of rain to melt the compacted ice and frozen snow. Isn’t this also how the Holy Spirit works … “raining down” the “water of the Word” on cold hard hearts.
But it also took time.
Lots and lots of time!
Sometimes a cold hard heart might have years upon years worth of compacted frozenness. It will take time.
God’s lesson for me is don’t give up. Don’t give up on the cold hard hearts. Keep sharing the “water of the Word.” But in some cases, time needs to run its course.
God will melt the ice. God will warm the heart. It might just take some time.
