“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14
That sunshine, though.
It could melt even the hardest heart.
Or could it?
The news on my feed, the honking of impatient drivers, the tell-tale signs of a growing sense of entitlement, the lack of consideration toward anyone whose opinions seem unlike our own – they all demonstrate how truly hard our hearts have become.
A year of being separated hasn’t helped things much. We are losing our sense of community as we lose contact with our fellow creations, behind masks and closed doors.
A winter of the soul, if you will.
But here comes the sun…
I feel that disconnect. I feel that desire to justify myself and my opinions. I feel that fight to feed my better self as my bitter self rises up in insubordination.
Have you felt it, too?
Ice.
A hardness. A stronger defense mechanism. Selfishness. Walls to keep pain out.
What melts snow and ice?
The warmth of the sun.
What keeps our human hearts, so prone to growing that thick skin, from growing hard and unresponsive to the needs around us?
The warmth of the Son – the touch of Jesus. The man from Galilee who gave everything up to show us how to love. How to battle that stubborn streak within us that keeps us in conflict with others and our best selves. How to keep the lines of communication to God open, to keep short accounts with our Maker, to take steps to ensure we don’t freeze up for good.
Is it time for the big thaw?
I know there are rough edges in me that desperately need that Sonshine, that warm touch of grace that will help balance the ice and keep me grounded, open, and soft toward the things that really matter.
The world is ready for it.
Join me in doing a heart check up, and preparing for the big thaw?
Father, how easy it is to slip into old hard habits and close ourselves off from each other, ourselves, and Your heart. Forgive us. Forgive me. I want to remain tender and responsive to Your word and Your people. Thaw us and move us as a nation further into this spring of renewal. Amen.
Growing in Grace 