karin madden

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January 31, 2014 by Karin 12 Comments

Why We Drill Holes In The Frozen Places

Sometimes I just have to write to feel my fingers dancing on the keyboard. I think it must be this way for all artists. And we are all artists.

I think about the gifts God gives us; the ones we have no idea are swimming just below the surface while we dance and skate across the top of the pond. We fly through the air and forget there are treasures swimming just below the frozen lid.

Sun over a frozen lake

Snow-covered mountains

My husband went ice fishing. Seems like a funny thing to do in Las Vegas… but Utah is not very far away. Utah with its snow-covered mountains and frozen lakes. It seems we are never very far from frozen places.

They drilled a hole through eight inches of ice to get to the liquid wonder where the fish dance a dance all their own. Makes me wonder how many inches of ice God must drill through to get the core of us… and, why do we keep re-freezing? The drilling is hard work.

Drilling the frozen places

Hole in the Ice

This got me to thinking about frozen lakes. I have never stepped foot onto a lake so thick in ice you could dance on it. I grew up in the South. One year when I was a kid, the lake we grew up on invited my dad and me for a swim on December 31. I’ve never seen a frozen lake. But, I know the frozen places…

The frozen parts – we all have them. We can step out and slip and slide in all directions not knowing where we may end up. We can skate in one direction and spin around to find ourselves somewhere else entirely. All the while, the thought tickles the back of our minds,

Will the ice break?

Will we fall into the frigid depths and sink to the unknown… a dark, murky nowhere kind of place?

Or is there something more?

Frozen Lake

One of the guys put on a life jacket while the others held a rope tied to his waist. He carefully tread onto the ice and found a spot to drill with the auger. The ice was thick enough. He called the rest of the crew out and they set up ice fishing shop. Chairs, fishing rods, and whatever else guys use when they go ice fishing…

The funny thing is, my warrior told me that the fish are slower in this murk beneath the frozen roof. They slowly drift to the lines and bump against them. No hurry. No excessive hunger it appears… just icy cruising until one gets curious enough to bite.

Three Fish

I wonder what we would find if we drilled beneath our frozen surfaces – the pieces slowly being drilled away by God. I wonder if the pace would be slower… if the dance would look a little bit different. I wonder if the treasure lies just beneath the surface.

And what about the fishing? We are all fishermen, that is… fishers of men, you know. How slowly and cautiously the fish swim around us when we are, well, frozen.

Who wants to swim to a line when the holder of the life line is chilly and cold?  Or, maybe, this holder won’t give a glimpse of what’s underneath the surface.

But, sometimes these frozen places feel just so safe.  It’s almost easier to sit frozen and still – easier than holding out a line, or a hand… or a heart.

Walking on Ice

We cast our lines through the small holes – the ones we’ve allowed God to drill. But, the rest… it’s all a slippery surface. Would knows where the icy patches are safe? Who knows what false move may cause the plunge?

Yea, and when the ice does crack, and we find ourselves submerged – down in the depths with the rest of the fish – we are told the best thing to do is… stay calm.

And maybe if we stay calm in these places where the fish slowly nudge, we may just survive.  Rise to the surface where the sun’s light blinds us all.

And here, we can breathe this deep breath of relief. We can see that the icy places are really not the safe places. They are really not the sturdy shield we have so carefully created.

When it all melts enough to bring us to this place where we have to remain calm… or sink… then, we can really become fishermen.

There’s not much that separates us from the fish swimming below the surface.  Just a sheet of ice.

Before we know it, the Son melts it all away. 

And, in the warmth, the fish begin to bite…

 

Matthew 4:19

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

Karin Madden

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Filed Under: Faith, Together, Trust Tagged With: fishers of men, ice fishing, the frozen places

Comments

  1. Jeanne Padgett says

    January 31, 2014 at 8:03 am

    Your best yet! Submit this!

    Reply
    • Karin says

      January 31, 2014 at 9:49 am

      Thank you, Jeanne! You are the best.

      Reply
  2. jana says

    January 31, 2014 at 9:27 am

    Oh my gosh! This is outstanding!!!!! You captured my heart and soul with your words. Love you friend. Wow!!! jana

    Reply
    • Karin says

      January 31, 2014 at 9:50 am

      Thank you, Jana! Love you, my friend. So grateful to know you.

      Reply
  3. christa sterken says

    January 31, 2014 at 10:08 am

    I agree with Jeanne, submit!

    Reply
    • Karin says

      January 31, 2014 at 4:59 pm

      Thanks Christa!

      Reply
  4. Kathy Butler says

    January 31, 2014 at 10:21 am

    Karin
    Your writings always touch my heart – and sometimes my soul. I could so relate to this one – hiding below the ice (thinking it’s safe). Thank you for the reminder that it isn’t where I need to be!
    Love, Kathy

    Reply
    • Karin says

      January 31, 2014 at 5:00 pm

      Thank you, Kathy. It isn’t where I need to be, either. What a journey this is… Hugs to you!

      Reply
  5. Barbie says

    February 1, 2014 at 1:27 am

    Wow, this is truly beautiful!

    Reply
    • Karin says

      February 2, 2014 at 12:37 am

      Thanks Barbie! Have a great weekend.

      Reply
  6. Melissa McIntyre says

    February 3, 2014 at 7:16 pm

    Wow! You truly are a talented writer 🙂 I spent most of last year “hiding under the ice” Fear. Judgment. Rejection. We are soo mean to each other sometimes. By “we” unfortunately I mean fellow believers. I have since found a small group of friends and believers that are wonderful and REAL! and also a few online too! Slowly coming out from under the ice, but I am ready and HE is with me! Whom shall I fear? Your writing is beautiful and inspiring and VERY relatable. Thank you for being soo honest and real and opening your soul for others to see the beauty and the struggle and most of all to see Jesus! 😉

    Reply
    • Karin says

      February 4, 2014 at 1:10 am

      Man oh man, Melissa. You sure do know how to encourage. Thank you so much for your wonderfully kind words. It lifts my heart to read this today. I’m sorry you struggled below the “ice” last year. And, yes, we can be so mean. What an easy target we are for our enemy sometimes in his tactic of “divide and conquer.” It’s always saddened me to see believers treat others – especially each other – badly. The best place to start fixing that is in our own hearts, right? I heard a pastor a few weeks ago say, “The 2 reason people don’t go to church – one, they have never met a Christian. Two, they have.” Ouch. I can relate to both of those in my past. But, yes, whom shall I fear? I am grateful to know you here, friend, and so very thankful for your words. You’re the “real” deal, too. 🙂

      Reply

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Meet Karin

Hi! My name is Karin Madden. Writer. Warrior wife. Mom of six pack. Homeschooler. German-blooded southerner. Welcome to the place where I explore what it means to grow stronger - spirit, soul, and body. I write to inspire and encourage - to remind you we are not alone. By being bold with grace and speaking truth in love, we can become who we are meant to be. I'm glad you are here.

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