Cold Snap

It is amazing what a little cold weather can do. I was really enjoying this spring. All the flowers and trees were budding out. The leaves on my Japanese Maple were really looking like this would be the year for it to come into its own. Then the cold came. Like many of you, I covered as much as I could with drop cloths and sheets, night after night. But it was just too cold too long. That which started out beautiful is now wilted.

The experts I read and hear are saying that we should wait and see what the plants will do. The damage is done and trimming or feeding the plants could cause more damage. It is sad but there are limits to what we as humans have control over. When we reach those limits we have to let God do what God can do.

I thought about our spiritual lives and how this cold snap relates to us. We too can be doing so well in our Christian walk and one cold incident can set us back. It can be something outside our control like an illness or tragedy, or something to someone close to us. It can be a lapse in our behavior, giving in to temptation, anger, or some other bad habit of the flesh. Like the cold weather on the plants it can take the glow of Christ off our faces, drag us down, and lead to something worse if we do not take important precautions.

What can we do? We can cover ourselves against the cold just like the plants. Instead of drop cloths and sheet we cover ourselves with prayer and bible reading everyday. If the cold lingers we need to get to church for worship and fellowship. We then need to apply these coverings in the way that God directs for each of us. He has a plan that puts us in the center of God’s purpose and will.

Cold winds blow, on plants and people. That is why Paul said, “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)

Dr. Robin