Frozen Canal, Running Stream

This week, the Leeds-Liverpool canal froze. Curious children were observed standing on its banks hurling stones to see if they’d break the ice. Moorhens and coots waddled across the surface of the water in which they were swimming just a few days ago. At those places where a missile had successfully penetrated the frozen layer, I estimated the thickness at over an inch.

Close by the canal, parallel to Greenberfield Lane, a little beck flowed merrily. Why did the one freeze and the other remain liquid? Well the former’s water is still and calm, the latter’s fluid and gushing, following its course till it joins the Ribble and from thence the Irish Sea. The canal’s water goes nowhere; its indolence and lethargy assist the freezing process as the water molecules more easily bond together.

I suspect the Lord keeps us moving through trials and difficulties; never allowed to settle and stagnate, we remain spiritually lively despite the falling temperatures. We often face a seemingly endless array of obstacles over which we must pass. Though never pleasant, it keeps us quick and responsive, dependent on Christ and busy in prayer.