Fire and Ice

Somewhere around the middle of February I was hit with the idea for this blog. It wasn’t until the end of February that it really came to full realization of what I wanted to write on. I have been hemming and hawing about doing a series, which I will still do, but I felt God calling me to get these words off my chest and out into the open.

Fire and ice, or rather, fire and snow are two very beautiful and wonderful things in the right context. There just isn’t much better than cozying up next to a warm fire on a cold night (next to a special someone makes it even better). When the beautiful white snow is covering rooftops and the ground the landscape, well there is just something peaceful and serene about that. Through some recent experiences I’ve been able to see firsthand the effects of fire and snow and what they can mean.

In the middle of February Dallas was hit with twelve inches of snow which, in some parts of Dallas, was the record single day snowfall amount. As I drove to work the day after the snow fell I looked around at the beauty I saw. My normal drive to work was different. As I passed by businesses and houses and all sorts of places that were familiar to me I realized just how different it all looked as it was blanketed in snow. The brown grass that the hard winter had all but killed was now covered in pure, clean, white snow. Brown rooftops glistened with a white glow. It was beautiful and peaceful. At the same moment I saw the beauty I also started noticing that the dark spots and certain things were more noticeable surrounded by the snow. In fact I realized that there were abandoned buildings and houses and unsightful things I had never noticed before because they had always blended in with everything else. It dawned on me that against the white snow, things that did not look good, things that did not belong became all too obvious. As I saw this I heard God speaking to me that this was indeed how it is when the Holy Spirit enters into our lives. In fact, not just that, but when we are constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit and the things of Heaven it is easy to the objects in our life that we need to be rid of. Against the white, pure “snow” of the Holy Spirit God shows us the things in our life that we need to work pushing out. The sin and darkness of the world become all too obvious. Sometimes it is painful to see and many days as we just go along we miss out on seeing those things, those hindrances that keep us from really living the life God has called us to live.

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

1 Corinthians 6:11 “And that is what some of you were (referring to us as sinners). But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Being washed in the blood of Christ has made us believers clean. Although our sins are/were dark, they have been washed and made like snow. Sure, we still fall short of God’s glory. Romans 3:22-24 “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” We DO all fall short, but as Christians, as those redeemed by the blood of Christ we must realize that we’ve been made pure and blameless. We’ve been washed “white as snow” and in this we need to be aware that there are still areas in our lives that we need to work on. We are not perfect and sometimes we truly need God to fill us up and remind us that we still have a long way to go. We must be aware of the dark spots in our lives if we are to truly live the life God intends for us. So, don’t fear it, but embrace it. Pray for God to “snow” in your life so that you (and me too) can see the things in our lives that we need to clean up.

Now onto the subject of fires. The “fire” part of this comes from a recent event where my favorite restaurant burned down to the ground. I went out to the sight of the fire just a few days after for a fundraiser and what I saw was total devastation. For me, Terilli’s is a special place that I only take special people to. The atmosphere is unparalleled. It’s just that good. On top of that, Terilli’s in Dallas is an incredible place to eat. I say “is” because although it has burnt to the ground, they will rise from the ashes. You see, in life sometimes we just can’t escape the hardships or “fires” in our lives. Just reading the words of Christ on this matter bring me to tears. John 16:22 “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” We cannot and will not escape hardships. People will disappoint us, stuff won’t fulfill us, there will be times of stress and great trial, and sometimes we will just feel like giving in. The “fire” will be too much and we will just throw in the towel saying “it isn’t worth it anymore” or “I’m tired of fighting…tired of trying.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said those words or felt that same way, but I’ve also seen the fruits of staying the course. This life isn’t a short sprint, but rather it’s a marathon. Do we hit the wall and give up? Why would we train, work hard, and run part of the way only to give up? To me that just doesn’t make sense. Paul has this to say: 1 Corinthians 9:23-27 “I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” He also says this: 2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

You see, God put us here; He put me here for a purpose. If we press on, run the race, and not lose hope we will receive the prize that awaits us. There have been many hardships in my life and there will be many more. Do I believe that because I’ve been through a divorce that my suffering is through? No, I don’t believe that at all. I know that I am an alien to this world. My prize awaits me in Heaven. Sure, God will prosper me here too, but it won’t be without trials. We have an enemy, Satan, who wants to kill our hope. The enemy wants to destroy our lives. The enemy wants nothing more than to “burn us down and see us give up. While this sounds very disheartening, I also want you to know that my lot and your lot in life is not to suffer, but rather to have a hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

We must embrace this hope that we have, embrace the Lord, hold onto His promise and not let the trials of life cause us to throw in the towel. The greatest and most beautiful diamonds are formed from the most intense heat and pressure and so be encouraged that if the enemy is attacking you it means that there’s something worthy in you to be attacked. Take heart in that. God truly wants to use you for greatness and we aren’t called to lead a complacent Christian life. Rise from the ashes and achieve the extraordinary.

We are blameless since we’ve been washed clean by the blood of Christ. While we still sin and fall short, we are made clean because Jesus conquered the grave. Take an introspective look at you life and look at the things that you need to clean out. And don’t lose heart when trials and tribulations hit you, but rather fall on your knees before God and ask Him for guidance and lean on Him. I don’t know about you, but when my life is over, I want my diamond to shine. If that means I need to clean out the crud in my life and also endure hardships, then I will gladly do so. I shine for Christ will be my crowning achievement. My prayer is that it will be yours as well.