Cold Snap

“I saw your area on the news this morning. Whew, it’s cold where you are!” My older brother recently called me from Florida and I knew exactly what he was talking about. There’s been a recent cold snap where I live. With wind chills dipping to the dangerous lows of -45°, it wasn’t surprising that we made the news across the nation.

He chuckled as he relayed to me how some people in the Sunshine State have been feeling chilly. It’s been in the lower 50s where he’s currently working. A few residents there have been complaining and shivering (through chattering teeth). I’m struggling to feel the least bit sorry for their situation when my furnace is running non-stop, and I’m wearing a double layer of clothing.

A Frame of Reference

After our conversation, a thought occurred to me. How would one explain freezing temps like this to someone who has never been out of the state of Florida? To try and sum it up by saying it’s really, really cold, just doesn’t do justice to the stark reality of a raw, bone-chilling extreme.

At -45°, snow makes a squeaking, crunchy sound that I just don’t seem to detect when the mercury is above zero. I’ve personally gone outside and thrown a small bowl of hot water up into the air so that I can prove to my kids that snow-making at home is possible. Walking around in this kind of weather makes my forehead ache and my face sting. From time to time I’ve even caught myself trying not to breathe in during my time spent outside.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good…” (Proverbs 34:8). 

Extreme cold is impossible to explain to someone who has never been out in it. We can try to help people wrap their minds around it. But until it has been experienced, it’s something they cannot fathom. The same idea is true when we attempt to explain the love of God. Until it’s experienced, people cannot comprehend how life-changing it can be. Once they’ve tasted it though, no explanation is necessary!

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