Some things can be done in a moment. “Jesus said to them, ‘For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.’” (Mat 17:20) It’s true that we struggle with many things that could have been over in the blink of an eye. A decision was called for that simply needed faith, but we “oozed” rather than decided. We messed around with options rather than took steps. We mulled over rather than met the enemy head on. We hoped things would just work out rather than faced the challenge through faith.
But sometimes we face not a mountain but an iceberg. An iceberg is something that will not yield to a mo-ment of faith, however great it be. Melting takes time. We have no con-trol over how fast the melting happens. It’s not something we can achieve, do or accomplish. We can pray harder and wish more, but melting takes time. It’s out of our hands. Some things are just simply in God’s hands. We can’t speed up time tables, force God to work faster, set deadlines. We simply have to give God room.
I am thinking of the Divorce Care seminar I participated in the other night. It was my privilege to sit around a table with some pretty bruised people who were facing not a mountain but an iceberg. The DVD we were watching said that it takes about five years to get to the other side of the tunnel of di-vorce. You could hear the gasp. Five years? You’ve got to be kidding. Isn’t there anything we can do to speed that up? Read our Bible more? Pray more? Forgive more? Isn’t there a “more” string we can pull?
Short answer: Nope. Some things have to melt. Effort alone won’t do it. (By the way, I agree with the five year scenario – I’ve had plenty of time to observe).
All of us have gone through life-altering disappointments. Things get into our souls that severely disrupt how we see the world. Things like trusting, loving, openness, serving, relaxing seem so far away. The heart has be-come like ice. It will need time to melt.
While you are waiting for only what God can do, you don’t have to do nothing. You can stay in the sunshine and keep out of the shade. Where’s the sunshine? God’s Word. Where’s the light? In the face of Jesus. Where’s the comfort? In the Holy Spirit. Where’s the Where’sthe warmth? In the fel-lowship of those set on fire by God.
Some things move. Some things melt. But there is always a way.
