Fire and Ice

Growing Daily

Fire and Ice

I stumbled through the door with an armload of firewood, bundled head-to-toe like a marshmallow.  The temperature was near zero — something I felt compelled to announce to anyone within earshot.

As I stoked the fire, my son filled two glasses with ice water, and we plopped down together on the couch. I couldn’t help but pause:  there we were, casually sipping iced beverages while the thermometer hovered in single digits.

It’s often said—and just as often overlooked—that most of us enjoy a level of comfort that our ancestors could never have imagined.  We lament the icy world outside even as we bask in all the modern indoor comforts and conveniences.

Psalm 103:2 says:  “Praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.” 

When David wrote those words, he understood how prone we are to overlook what’s right in front of us.  Some of our greatest blessings today aren’t the ones we pray for, but the ones we forget:  light and warmth on demand, food that’s readily available, rest in a soft bed. 

It may sound simple, but it’s a reminder we can never outgrow.  Take a moment to thank God today for provisions so complete that they feel ordinary — the “ordinary” that’s always faithfully and generously present.

- Ron Reid