“Love one another deeply, from the heart." ~ 1 Peter 1:22
Jerry awoke to silence and tranquility, the world outside
blanketed with delicate blooms of feathered crystals in their most artistic
form. Heaven's sunlit glitter appeared as if each snowflake had its own LED.
This snowfall was more than western Kentucky had seen in a decade.
The rest of the world
and its worries ceased to exist for a few precious moments. Cozy in the warmth
of their trailer home, he dreamed of building a snowman with twiglike arms and
a bubblegum grin with his children.
So, he pried open the
vinyl skirting and belly-crawled under the trailer to where the water line
emerged from the ground and ran up into their home.
Field mice scattered
as Jerry ran extension cords to a space heater and hairdryer, hoping to get
water flowing again.
While Jerry lay atop
the icy ground, he fought the urge to shiver. His desperation grew from the
lack of progress as the afternoon shadows lengthened. He wanted to scream, throw
a tantrum, and beat his hands on the ground like a toddler out of control.
Just then his beautiful
three-year-old daughter poked her head under the trailer. “Daddy,” she said
with the clairvoyance of an Angel. “Mom made me some hot chocolate. I put some
marshmallows in it for you!” she said, offering her little sippy cup in Jerry’s
direction.
Jerry smiled, took a
sip, and let the liquid heat flow down his throat and warm his insides. He took
a second sip. It was the best hot chocolate he’d ever tasted.
Just as Jerry thanked his
sweet child, he heard a miraculous sound: water flowing from the kitchen
faucet. He exited the trailer’s underside and carried out the heaters, he gazed
up at steel-grey clouds and thanked God for a productive day. Then he carried
his loving daughter back inside for another cup of steaming cocoa.
Sometimes our world
feels like a very cold place. But there’s beauty all around us. When a ray of
sunshine strikes the wintry ground, the snow sparkles with His marvelous light
(1 Peter 2:9). In the silence of falling flakes, the Lord whispers in your ear.
(Matthew 10:27). The warmth of God's love doesn't just cover us in wintertime (1
John 4:7-8).
When we share our
warmth we help God to take away the cold. And when we share our Love we can
help God to melt the ice casing around another’s heart.
Almighty Father, there’s no frostbitten heart
that can stand up for long under the radiance of Your Son’s love and grace. Melt
our frozen hearts so that the living water of the Spirit will flow unhindered into
our hearts. Amen
