Walking on a Frozen Pond

I've never lived in a place where snow stayed on the ground for more than a few days, so it's an entertaining novelty at this point in my life. We've lived in North Carolina for more than a month now, and we've had several rounds of snow, making for a delightful and hazardous winter wonderland, which I personally have LOVED!

There happened to be a pond in the back of our rental, and watching it go from slightly frozen to thawed to completely frozen again was like watching a time lapsed science experiment. The owners said they've never walked on the ice for fear of it not holding, even though it's pretty shallow. We had to emphasize their concerns to our boys by reminding them of It's a Wonderful Life where George Bailey saved his kid brother after falling in the ice, and remained partially deaf the rest of his life.

After temps dipped into the single digits though, I decided to chance standing on the edge near the dock by placing one foot at a time on the pond. I was actually able to put my full weight on the ice, and I was surprised at the mini adrenaline rush that came from standing on solid water. Like a pack a wolves to a carcass, my boys all rushed over, wanting their own turn for exhilaration.

Before I let them try though, I made them watch me take a step on the other side of the dock. After both my feet touched, we heard the sounds of glass cracking, and just like a pebble lodged in a windshield, lines spread outward from me feet like spider veins."See this ice is not solid," I cautioned, but I let them hold my hands or grasp the dock to get their own tiny thrill for just a moment.

This experience helped me understand what the song means when it says, "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the water, wherever you call me. Take me further than my feet could ever wander." ("Oceans" by Hillsong United) For me, life with Jesus it not like walking on water as Peter did, but it's like walking on a half frozen pond.

When we take our first step of faith, we cling to the dock of comfort. We grip God's arms asking Him not to let us fall through the frigid ice. We think we are clinging to someone good, but it's actually our control and security that we don't want to let go. Once we do, we feel a rush of excitement at having taken an incredible step of faith-- blind, believing trust-- but we don't always know what to do next. Sometimes we turn one direction only to hear cracks or feel water seeping through to our feet. God is letting us know we are not on the right path, or we are not ready for another step. He doesn't want us to fear and rush back to the dock.

Sometimes He just wants us to wait for the water to solidify. Stay where you are for a time while your faith solidifies to more than juvenile exhilaration. With time we mature and grow our trust. God is patient because He knows we need time before we are ready for another big step. As the water freezes, and we continue to walk on it, we learn to spot the correct direction sooner. We see with our spiritual eyes and hear with our spiritual ears where the ice is thin, or when we need to wait.

Before we realize it, we are in the middle of the pond. However, if we get cocky or forget the nature of water, we'll run into fear and anxiety, just like Peter. But if we keep our eyes on God and slow our pace, we will always see and hear Him. I believe once we've mastered walking on frozen ponds, then God knows we are ready to walk across oceans, and this is when we begin to approach our forever home where there's no distinction between the three stages of liquid. We are free to walk, run, fly, or swim anywhere with God.

~Ice walking Carefully & Carelessly