Ice Cubes: A Lesson On Patience

Hello Friends,

I hope you are enjoying these warmer temperatures! It’s strange to think that last week the average temperature was around 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the week before that temperatures barely reached 20 degrees Fahrenheit. I don’t know about you, but I enjoyed the temperatures this past week. I didn’t have to use an electric heater in the office to stay warm or where my jacket while I worked or rub my hands together to keep them warm. It sort of felt like Spring! I’m not ready for the Spring yard work, but feeling warm was nice.

As much as I enjoy the warmer temperatures, I found myself thinking about the weather two weeks ago. You know, when we endured snow, strong winds, freezing rain, snow, and very chilly temperatures. I was thinking about that moment in time because of one element that appeared on the ground during this time. It wasn’t snow. It was ice. And as you know, ice takes time to melt. Especially, during this time, people are not so patient when it comes to letting the weather run its course. So, I thought to myself, maybe the ice on the ground is God’s way of telling us to be patient–to slow down and not to be in hurry. But what does it mean to be patient? So, hear me out…

How many of you, when you sit down to dinner, like a nice cold drink with ice? Ice makes our drinks taste better. Ice cools down our beverages. When a liquid is poured over the ice, it makes a crackling sound that is rather a unique sound. But why is it that we enjoy ice so much? Do you guys have ice makers in your fridge at home? Ice makers are nice be­cause they’re always making new ice without us ever having to do anything, don’t they? 

However, before ice makers people had to fill trays with water and place those trays in the freezer. And before freezers, people had to get ice from businesses who made and sold ice. And before that, people had to harvest ice from cold bodies of water. Thank goodness for us, we are not going that far back in history. Actually, we going back in time to those trays. How many of you guys have seen one of those trays? This is an ice tray, and if your fridge doesn’t have an ice maker, I bet you can find several of these in it. Ice trays are pretty simple. Each one has all these little pockets that you fill with water. Then you stick it in the freezer, and in a few hours, you have some nice ice cubes. 

The problem with the ice trays is that it does take a while for the water to freeze into ice cubes. If you pull it out too soon, the cubes may only freeze on the outside, and when they melt, your drink will get all watery. And that’s no good, is it? 

But we all like cold drinks better than warm, right? I mean who likes a warm Coke, or a warm Kool­Aid, or a warm sweet tea on a hot summer day, or a warm lemonade from a local lemonade stand? Sometimes we have to be patient in waiting for ice. Especially on a hot day? We will wait for the ice cubes to freeze because they are worth it. 

You know there are a lot of things in life that require us to wait: to be patient. Sometimes it’s hard to wait for the end of the school day, isn’t it? Or maybe we can’t wait for the weekend. Some of you may find it hard waiting for your favorite sports season, for you birthday, for summer vacation, or for Christmas. And how about growing up? How many of you can’t wait to be old enough to drive? 

The Bible teaches us that we need to learn patience, to wait. Many things in life take time, and the more patient we are, the more we will enjoy life. Because if you spend all your time being impatient, you’re going to miss out on what God has in store for you each day. You are going to miss out on being able to have solid ice cubes fresh from the freezer. Good things come to those who wait. 

The Bible tells us that patience is one of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Hebrews 10:36 tells us, “For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.” Next time you feel impatient, remember the ice tray. And remember, the wait will be worth it! As the ice continues to melt outside, remember Spring is coming. But in the meantime, be patient and enjoy the current season.

Let us Pray: Dear Jesus, help us to be patient. Grant us the will to wait. Guide us to fill each and every ice tray with your holy water so that what they produce will freshen up our life. Amen.

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!

Lesson Borrowed and Adapted from https://www.childrens-ministry-deals.com/pages/object-lesson-patience?srsltid=AfmBOooi8AQX89sWqOM_dYGlDbPjJk2kcHf2lPCD8Ogo2g_yqW4TLPAt