Frozen Cats and Hard Hearts

Let me just start by saying, "Brrrrrrrrrr!!!" I'm sure it was never -28 degrees in the Garden of Eden before the fall. Therefore, sub-zero temperatures must be the result of sin.

When I feel this bone-chilling cold, I'm reminded of my childhood. Raised in Southeast Idaho, I've been in freezing cold weather before...but that doesn't mean I'm used to it, or have to like it. You see, when things freeze, they usually die. There are a few exceptions, such as embryos, but I've seen plants when they're frozen, and they die. People and animals that are frozen, die.

I haven't always known that 'frozen death' is permanent. When I was in the second or third grade some friends and I were playing outside at the park by ourselves, (back when you could safely do that). We found a cat...frozen solid...dead. Being a young man of either great faith, or naivety, I picked up the cat and carried it home. I took it inside and put it by the heater to thaw out, figuring that we'd have a new pet.

Yes, this was a learning experience for me as my parents explained that the cat was going to stay dead, even if we thawed it out. If we warmed up the outside, the heart of the cat had frozen and would not work anymore...he was hardhearted.

If caught out in the cold, we're advised to keep warm, keep moving and not to go to sleep. There are some good spiritual parallels to this line of thinking.

• Don't let your heart get cold. Keep that spiritual fire burning. Keep feeding it with good teaching, sermons, God's Word and worship.


• Don't think you can stop where you are and rest. Once you stop, it's hard to get going again. Keep moving toward deeper relationship with God.


• And don't drift into spiritual slumber. God's Word even says, "Wake up, O sleeper..." (Ephesians 5:14) Our faith should be alive, vibrant and active.

Here's praying that your spiritual life is 'hot' and your heart soft toward God.

Enjoying the Journey,

David