Years ago, on wintery days like the picture above, my mother wasn't able to hang the family wash outside to dry. Instead, after running our bedding and clothing through the wringer washer and wash tubs every Monday morning, she hung the wet clothes on lines my dad had strung up in the woodshed. Since there was no heat in that building, Monday evening my mom brought the laundry back into the house to finish drying it over a rack of wooden bars in the dining room. What I remember best was my mom's attempt to bring my dad's long johns back into the house. They were frozen stiff! My mom tried as best as she could to manuver the freezing-cold, flat garments with stiff outstretched arms and legs through the doorway, but it was wasn't easy.
I thought of those frozen long johns the other day when I read a selection from one of J. I. Packer's books called Knowing God. Packer writes "Constantly we find ourselves slipping into bitterness and apathy and gloom as we reflect on past disappointments and present heartbreaks, which we frequently do. The attitude we show to the world is a sort of dried-up stoicism, miles removed from the 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' (1 Peter 1:8) that Peter took for granted his readers were displaying." Since it was on a nasty, freezing, and snowy day that I read this selection from J. I. Packer, I imagined that "dried-up stoicism" was about the same as "frozen, stiff long johns".
I don't know about others, but I find that I slip into bitterness and apathy and gloom at times. I wouldn't be surprised that during this Christmas season, there are many others who, when reflecting on past disappointments and present heartbreaks, also slip into bitterness and apathy and gloom. Somehow we manage to function outwardly when we are around others celebrating the season's festivities, but inwardly our emotions and spirits are stiff and cold, and we know it! We can fool others, but we can't fool ourselves or God.
There is a request made of God in Psalm 51 that seems appropriate for me and other Christian's to pray when they feel overwhelmed and emotionally frozen at this time of the year. In Psalm 51 David, the Psalmist, confesses his sin and asks God to have mercy upon him according to His steadfast love. David also makes this request of God: Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:12).
That sounds like a good prayer for this harried, frantic time of year. What do you think?
I thought of those frozen long johns the other day when I read a selection from one of J. I. Packer's books called Knowing God. Packer writes "Constantly we find ourselves slipping into bitterness and apathy and gloom as we reflect on past disappointments and present heartbreaks, which we frequently do. The attitude we show to the world is a sort of dried-up stoicism, miles removed from the 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' (1 Peter 1:8) that Peter took for granted his readers were displaying." Since it was on a nasty, freezing, and snowy day that I read this selection from J. I. Packer, I imagined that "dried-up stoicism" was about the same as "frozen, stiff long johns".
I don't know about others, but I find that I slip into bitterness and apathy and gloom at times. I wouldn't be surprised that during this Christmas season, there are many others who, when reflecting on past disappointments and present heartbreaks, also slip into bitterness and apathy and gloom. Somehow we manage to function outwardly when we are around others celebrating the season's festivities, but inwardly our emotions and spirits are stiff and cold, and we know it! We can fool others, but we can't fool ourselves or God.
There is a request made of God in Psalm 51 that seems appropriate for me and other Christian's to pray when they feel overwhelmed and emotionally frozen at this time of the year. In Psalm 51 David, the Psalmist, confesses his sin and asks God to have mercy upon him according to His steadfast love. David also makes this request of God: Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:12).
That sounds like a good prayer for this harried, frantic time of year. What do you think?
