Well that’s it; it’s gone. I’d like to say as quick as it came, it left in the same fashion, but that would not be true. 

I’m not talking about the weather either, though there are some similarities. 

Last week we had a few days of warm weather that seemed to suggest it might stick around. However, as quick as the plus figures arrived, they instantly vanished into oblivion with the arrival of negative temperatures in the double digits.

It was hard to fathom how much a thermometer could drop in such a short span of time. I was blown away at the amount of red liquid that could pool in that round reservoir at the bottom of the thermometer outside our kitchen window. How did it all get in there?

Some things have a quick arrival and then a slow exit. Snow, for one, is like that. 

We received most of our snow accumulation in two storms. Specifically, it was over one night that we really noticed the snow pile up. 

Since that fateful night, the snow has not retreated all that quickly. Even with those few warm days we experienced last week, there was not a significant amount of melting to be observed with the naked eye. 

I think you would need some kind of a measuring system to tell if the glacier on my front lawn has retreated at all.

I doubt we will see this snow disappear for some time … though apparently we will be back in plus temperatures a few days from now. 

But this blog is not about arriving quickly and then sticking around – actually, the opposite.

About five weeks ago I started growing a beard. I got covid and, for the five days I stayed at home, I didn’t shave. (You can read about it here.)

I was just intrigued with the white stuff on my face and decided to see what it would look like if I kept it around. So for the last four to five weeks, I’ve been growing this white stuff. 

… No, I haven’t digressed to talking about the snow, just the mostly white beard that has been accumulating on my face. 

It has not come about quickly though. 

I could wait longer to see how it fully develops and if I will maybe look like David Letterman or Santa Clause, but at this point I think I have a good idea of how it would turn out. 

During this time, I’ve been driving my wife, Lily, batty. She doesn’t like it, not one bit. 

And I’ve stayed coy, not indicating that I’m in any hurry to shave it off. 

But unlike the snow on the ground that comes quickly and leaves very slowly, my beard has taken weeks to develop … but I was able to eliminate it from my face within a matter of fifteen minutes. 

… I know someone who will be ecstatic that her Valentine wish has come true!

Here’s the thing: Think about it – God has been very patient with mankind. The Bible says He is slow to anger, abounding in love and mercy. Centuries have gone by with the promise of Christ returning – that’s a long delay. But when Christ does return, it will be quick and possibly unexpected. Don’t get caught thinking there is lots of time until then. Place your faith in Christ today and develop your relationship with Him so you will be ready for His quick return. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need to bring to a quick end? Leave your comments and questions below.

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