Thaw (verb)
1. To become free of the effect (such as stiffness, numbness, or hardness) of cold as a result of exposure to warmth
2. To abandon aloofness, reserve, or hostility
3. To become mobile, active, or susceptible to change
(Courtesy of the Merriam-Webster dictionary)
My snow boots squished into the melting snow and mud today as I spent some time with Jesus and the trees. I looked out over the lake of Cowans Gap where cracks had appeared in ice that partially covered the water. Occasionally a tree gave me a raindrop kiss as the snow melted off the branches and fell to the ground with a tinkling sound.
The sunshine was beaming down and melting the ice and snow. Thawing.
Isaiah 55:9-11 says:
“For as heaven is higher than earth,
so My ways are higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts.
For just as rain and snow fall from heaven
and do not return there
without saturating the earth
and making it germinate and sprout,
and providing seed to sow and food to eat,
so My word that comes from My mouth
will not return to Me empty,
but it will accomplish what I please
and will prosper in what I send it to do.”
As I was walking around the lake, I was pondering some thoughts. Even though I've had these thoughts and realizations before, I don't always take the time to let them impact me.
1. Life is a process, and a messy one at that.
I'll be the first to admit that being in the middle of processes (let alone enjoying it!) does not come easily to me. I like having my ducks in a row and nice tidy closures to issues and contemplations. But being realistic, that is very rare, and I'm learning to thrive in the process of messy. Just like thawing is messy and takes time, sometimes life looks and feels messy and takes time as well. Like slogging through puddles of melted snow and mud, we must choose to put our boots on and keep moving forward.
This week, I had to choose flexibility in several upcoming plans and opportunities that were changing and adjusting. Things aren't looking like I thought they would look, but I can either go into it with an attitude that things aren't going my way or excitement for an unforeseen adventure!
"Let's not sugar coat it: true spiritual growth is a process of destruction. It's a [crazy] messy process."
2. The more I soak in the Son, the softer my heart becomes.
It's no surprise that the patches of snow that received direct sunlight melted faster than the ones in the shade. The more we spend time with God, the softer and more pliable my heart is to what He is teaching me. Just like my boot sinks into mud much faster than frozen ground, the truth is easier to embed into a soft heart than a hard heart. Keep your heart soft - spend time reading the Bible, choose worship and thankfulness, forgive people who have hurt you.
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe my ordinances." - Ezekiel 36:26
3. Take time to pause.
I breathed deeply the crisp, clean air of the trees.
I closed my eyes and listened to the music of the melting snow as it dripped off the trees.
I touched the rough bark of trees as I passed them.
I admired the 2 snowmen a family made, chuckling as a piece of the mouth fell off as it was melting - "Make sure you see what we made!" The little creator told me as I passed them on the trail.
When we take time to pause, we give ourselves time to see what is happening around us.
"The earth has music for those who listen." - William Shakespeare
Reflection questions:
What are areas of your heart that you find thawing?
Pause for 5 minutes. What do you hear, feel, and/or observe?
1. To become free of the effect (such as stiffness, numbness, or hardness) of cold as a result of exposure to warmth
2. To abandon aloofness, reserve, or hostility
3. To become mobile, active, or susceptible to change
(Courtesy of the Merriam-Webster dictionary)
My snow boots squished into the melting snow and mud today as I spent some time with Jesus and the trees. I looked out over the lake of Cowans Gap where cracks had appeared in ice that partially covered the water. Occasionally a tree gave me a raindrop kiss as the snow melted off the branches and fell to the ground with a tinkling sound.
The sunshine was beaming down and melting the ice and snow. Thawing.
Isaiah 55:9-11 says:
“For as heaven is higher than earth,
so My ways are higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts.
For just as rain and snow fall from heaven
and do not return there
without saturating the earth
and making it germinate and sprout,
and providing seed to sow and food to eat,
so My word that comes from My mouth
will not return to Me empty,
but it will accomplish what I please
and will prosper in what I send it to do.”
As I was walking around the lake, I was pondering some thoughts. Even though I've had these thoughts and realizations before, I don't always take the time to let them impact me.
1. Life is a process, and a messy one at that.
I'll be the first to admit that being in the middle of processes (let alone enjoying it!) does not come easily to me. I like having my ducks in a row and nice tidy closures to issues and contemplations. But being realistic, that is very rare, and I'm learning to thrive in the process of messy. Just like thawing is messy and takes time, sometimes life looks and feels messy and takes time as well. Like slogging through puddles of melted snow and mud, we must choose to put our boots on and keep moving forward.
This week, I had to choose flexibility in several upcoming plans and opportunities that were changing and adjusting. Things aren't looking like I thought they would look, but I can either go into it with an attitude that things aren't going my way or excitement for an unforeseen adventure!
"Let's not sugar coat it: true spiritual growth is a process of destruction. It's a [crazy] messy process."
Squishy, muddy ground
2. The more I soak in the Son, the softer my heart becomes.
It's no surprise that the patches of snow that received direct sunlight melted faster than the ones in the shade. The more we spend time with God, the softer and more pliable my heart is to what He is teaching me. Just like my boot sinks into mud much faster than frozen ground, the truth is easier to embed into a soft heart than a hard heart. Keep your heart soft - spend time reading the Bible, choose worship and thankfulness, forgive people who have hurt you.
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe my ordinances." - Ezekiel 36:26
Snow melting off branches
3. Take time to pause.
I breathed deeply the crisp, clean air of the trees.
I closed my eyes and listened to the music of the melting snow as it dripped off the trees.
I touched the rough bark of trees as I passed them.
I admired the 2 snowmen a family made, chuckling as a piece of the mouth fell off as it was melting - "Make sure you see what we made!" The little creator told me as I passed them on the trail.
When we take time to pause, we give ourselves time to see what is happening around us.
"The earth has music for those who listen." - William Shakespeare
One of the snowmen!
Reflection questions:
What are areas of your heart that you find thawing?
Pause for 5 minutes. What do you hear, feel, and/or observe?
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