Have you noticed the icicles lately?

 

Good morning from cold Michigan! It’s early….still dark….and only 4 degrees…..but as I sit here enjoying my last cup of coffee before leaving for work, I can’t help but be grateful for the day.  I spent a great deal of time this morning looking out the window and enjoying the view from my lazy boy. Today it wasn’t deer or falling snow that captured my interest, but rather the icicles and the beautiful display that was created on the butterfly bush by the melting of the snow and its transformation into ice.  The view is breathtakingly beautiful because my bright LED security light is situated in such a way that it shines on the icicles hanging from the eave and also on the many icicles that have formed on the branches below, causing them to shimmer and glow against the darkness.

Have you ever taken a few minutes to notice the icicles?  Each one of different shape….some longer…some shorter….some wider…..essentially created out of the same process of melting and refreezing, but each taking on its own uniqueness.  If they were all the same, then even though they would likely still be nice to look at, they certainly would not be quite so interesting and majestic. It’s their “differences” in size, shape, texture, etc., when grouped together, that makes a sight to behold.

 Sort of like us……each different….some bigger, some smaller….some older, some younger…..some who appear to have it “all together”, and some, like me, who are trying daily to “figure it out”.  Some of us have been subjected to more of life’s trials or “heat” and we look, act, and think different than others. Some have been on a journey for a longer time….some are new to this “change” process.   The amazing thing is that… “It doesn’t matter!”  When we all come together….with all of our baggage, our trials, our joys, and our successes…..then God will use us to bring beauty into the world.  There isn’t one of those icicles that is more beautiful than another, in spite of its size. Nor is any of us any better than another, regardless of our size, our bank account, our educational level, years of sobriety or pounds lost.  One icicle hanging on an eave is just a chunk of melting ice….but together…..WELL….Take a look the next time you see a beautiful display of them, and see if you see what I see.  (Sorry those of you in warm weather!)

One final thought…… This gorgeous display of brilliance and light would not have been possible without a MELT-DOWN!  The combination of precipitation and sun; of warmth and cold; night and day; of CHANGE….essentially a Melt-down is what created these icicles. Have you had a melt-down lately?  Have you slipped or fell of track?  Have you already abandoned your new year’s resolutions?  Have you given up?  If so…don’t fret….it’s not over. It’s not too late. You haven’t lost the war.  God can use this melt-down to make something beautiful for the world to see. Surrender it…allow him to help you….get back on track and start over.  Melt-downs are part of life; don’t let it cause you to give up! Make something beautiful of your day today.