We are breaking extreme cold records.  In Salina, it wasn’t long ago when the outside regular temperature was -11 degrees with a windchill in the -30s.  Today Heidi and I woke up to 9 degrees and thought we were in the middle of a heatwave.  Our son, Austin, and his wife Kellyn live in Frisco, Texas in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex.  They have fared much worse than we have in Kansas.  They are experiencing bursting pipes, lost power, freezing temperatures, boil orders, and general boredom that is beyond description.  As I consider the frozen tundra of the central and southern states, I am reminded of a few spiritual lessons.

1.       We are living in a cursed world.  I love the mountains.  Every time I venture west to explore the Rockies, I am overwhelmed with their beauty and majesty.  Then I realize, because of the curse in Genesis 3, we have never seen God’s best.  We are still waiting to experience God’s best in creation.  Romans 8 reminds us that creation has been groaning with labor pains and will one day be set free (See Romans 8:18-22).  As I listen to the sounds of crackling ice, freezing winds on our windows, and the rustling of snow underfoot, I can only imagine the groaning sounds of creation.

2.       We are frail and fragile.  Heidi and I have been blessed so far and have not lost power or have our pipes freeze.  For those of you who are experiencing these things, the freezing temps, bursting pipes, and lost power should remind us how frail and fragile we are (see Psalm 102:11, 103:15). 

3.       Better Days are coming.  I was looking at my calendar and was reminded that Easter is coming in a few weeks.  If the ice and snow remind us of the frailty of humanity, the promise of Spring reminds us of the coming of the new heaven and new earth.  We will not be stuck in the frozen tundra forever, but Jesus will make everything new and we will live in the eternal glory of the presence of God seeing Him face to face.  Do not give up hope. Better days are coming. 

4.       Jesus is Lord.  If 2020 and the first few months of 2021 have taught me anything, it is Jesus is Lord. He is my refuge and my hope.  I can anchor my life to Him, and He will be faithful even when I am faithless.  Even in these extremely difficult days, we can take great solace in knowing that Jesus is Lord, He will make everything new, and we will be with Him forever.

Do not give up. You are not alone. Jesus cares, He is faithful, and He will see you through.