Absolute zero

“Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us form the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39 NIV

It has been several decades since I attended college, but I still remember just enough to make me dangerous. One term I recall is Absolute Zero. It is the theoretical removal of all heat. Cold is not actually the presence of cold, it is the absence of heat. Zero degrees Kelvin, which is approximately -459 degrees Fahrenheit is impossible to achieve because it would take an infinite amount of energy to get there. Our weather the past week tells me that -35 degree wind chill is all I want to know about heat loss, but it is an incomprehensible difference.

This week has reminded me how far separation from God really is. My life is full of experiences, mostly good but some that are painful. Sometimes I just have moments, not good or bad or hot or cold, just time. I told my wife this week that I feel like I am in neutral. Not cold, not lost, not bored, just time ticking away. I do not really like it that way.

Cold weather is inconvenient. Extreme cold is isolating. Virus issues are inconvenient. Extreme virus measures are isolating. To know you have an enemy is inconvenient. But that enemy wants us isolated, and we are right now.

When we lost Jordyn the noise left the house. Most of the mess left the house. But the thing that I never contemplated was the complete removal of her energy. People give off energy. Personalities, sense of humor, word count all add energy – heat. Absolute loss of that energy took us a while to comprehend.

I realize that my way of thinking may be both flawed and odd. But the gap between us and Jordyn was hard to comprehend just like absolute zero. It’s too big. Time has done something though.

I know my eternal destination is heaven. It is both an impossibly long journey and a constant companion. I have the Holy Spirit inside me to remind me that I am wired for heaven. It makes me long for it even though I have not been there yet. It makes me cling to it even though I cannot understand it. In a way it makes me happy that it is so far from here because I want no part of the divisions – the absence of heat – that exists here. I want heaven.

How is your mental state? If you haven’t talked to another human in a while, find one and tell them about yours and ask them about theirs.

Do you spend infinite amounts of energy trying to make things perfect?

Challenge: Some people assume worst case scenarios will end up happening – jobs, relationships, health, etc. If you allow your mind to go there, force your mind to imagine best case scenario. Give equal time to glory, where we will be an incomprehensible distance from the troubles we see here. Absolute.

Rick L. Claiborn