Cold All The Way To Our Souls

I have been so cold today, but so has everyone else who lives in Indiana and the surrounding states. The almanac said that this was going to be a hard winter but they didn't say that the north pole was moving down here.


When it is this cold no one wants to be outside so we hustle to and from our cars, getting inside as fast as we can. No one stops to chat. No one stops to be friendly. We stay in our homes. We hardly talk to anyone. The rest of the world tends to be far away from our thoughts. We become self absorbed and stop thinking of others the way God wants us to.

I think sometimes the cold just seeps in all the way to our souls. 

Proverbs 18:1

Common English Bible (CEB)

18 Unfriendly people look out for themselves...
  

Of course this is not the way God wants us to live. We need to let others into the warmth of a God led life. Letting others see how warm a God filled heart can be.

The other day a kind hearted family did just that...... 

I have a friend who cleans houses for a few families in our small community. On this day it was one of the coldest we have had. The wind was blowing and there was ice and snow covering the ground. My friend was cleaning this particular home in her stocking feet. She stepped outside on the porch to shake out a rug. As she was on the porch a gust of wind caught the door and slammed it shut. Guess what? The door was locked. Her phone, keys and purse were locked inside the house. Of course the family wasn't home either. This house sits way up on a hill. Pretty far away from the neighbors. What was my friend to do? Luckily her car was unlocked so she sat in it until the panic settled down and she could think clearly.

But as she sat there the cold settled into the car and she knew she had to do something. She decided she had no choice but to walk down the hill and over to the closest house. Now, it was no warmer than 2 degrees this day. She had no coat and, remember, no shoes. So you can imagine how cold she was. Makes me tear up just thinking about this. She could have frozen to death while we were all warm inside. 

It didn't take long for her toes to become numb. Thank goodness God led her to the right home. These people were home and immediately could see the danger of the situation. They warmed her up and called the owners of the home, where she had been cleaning, to get the code to the keypad that opened the garage door. They wouldn't let her leave until she could feel her toes again. Then they drove her back up the hill and made sure she got back into the house.

What if these people had been as cold hearted as the weather? 

1 John 3:16

The Message (MSG)

16-17 This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. 

I thank the Lord that these wonderful people were there and that they didn't turn a cold shoulder to my friend. Could have been very bad for her if they had. Instead they acted like God would have wanted them to.

Even though it is cold. Even though we would like to just curl up in our homes and think about ourselves. Lets remember to show the love of God and have a warm heart instead of a cold shoulder.

Stay warm dear friends!

Blessings!

First Snow!

Our very first snow of the season fell early this morning. Not tons, but enough to remind us that winter is almost here.

The snow reminded me of how lucky my family is. For one thing we are lucky to be able to live here in the parsonage. You ask how snow and this goes together? I will tell you. 

There is a wonderful gentleman who always takes care of the snow removal for us. It is his way of giving back to the church. He never lets us down on this. It is like magic, we wake up and the side walks are clean. 

Now this reminds me of the Israelite nation and the time of their travels through the desert. Moses was leading them to the promised land and as they went they began to get hungry. So God took care of them with manna. Every morning they would wake up and it would be on the ground to be picked up, like magic.  

The book of Numbers tell us what this was all about.....

Numbers 11:7

The Message (MSG)

7-9 Manna was a seed like substance with a shiny appearance like resin. The people went around collecting it and ground it between stones or pounded it fine in a mortar. Then they boiled it in a pot and shaped it into cakes. It tasted like a delicacy cooked in olive oil. When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna was right there with it.

God did not let them down on this. There were many times when they let Him down but He fed them like this and with birds for meat, as well, clear until the Israelite people got into the promised land and ate from their first harvest. 

Our God is so faithful. Even when we let Him down, He is always there for us. Supplying all of our needs.

I love how Philippians puts it....

Philippians 4:19

Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

19 My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus.

Not only does He make sure our physical needs are met, He has made sure that our spiritual needs are met as well. He sent us Jesus, as a sacrifice for our wrong deeds and then the Holy Spirit to keep us from feeling alone. He has also given us the Scriptures to help us find answers as we question our life here on this earth. What a comfort our God is. He never fails, no matter what.

So, yes, the snow was a great reminder today of how lucky we all truly are.

My hope for you is that you feel lucky too!

Blessings!!