On my recent prayer retreat, I walked through the woods. I often find this both relaxing and spiritually invigorating. Anyway, one day, on a downhill trek, I came upon a ravine. The pre-spring runoff from melted snow and the slight rain the day before was trickling down through the gully. But farther down the ravine I noticed a large chunk of ice on a rock. Despite the water running over it and the warmer temperatures for the last few days, it was still solid. Shaded from sunlight by the surrounding trees and aided by the cooler temperatures deep in the ravine, this ice had managed to remain frozen in place.
Immediately, I realized that there is a spiritual application. Despite receiving life-giving water from God, there are still parts of my heart that can remain frozen. Perhaps they are – intentionally or unintentionally – shielded from the warmth of God’s love. Maybe I have shut out the sunlight, allowing them to stay frozen.
Are there areas of your heart that need to be exposed more to the light and warmth of God?
(By the way, I went back the next day to take a picture. Guess what. The ice was gone. It had melted. I’ll let you draw your own analogy on that one. 🙂 )
To Make You Think 