Chill

Merriam Webster dictionary gives two definitions of the word "chill" - 1) a sensation of cold accompanied by shivering 2) a check to enthusiasm or warmth of feeling.

We've had a cold front come through the last few days...and I just love it. There is a chill in the October air that tells me that we're deeper into fall now. In the south, sometimes our warm (hot) air lingers much longer than I would like for it to. So I always welcome the chill of the mornings and evenings about this time of year. I love to snuggle in blankets, sweatshirts and jackets. I get excited when the weather calls for comfort foods like pumpkin bread, apple cake, chili or stew. I like to hold a hot mug of coffee or tea and relax with a book or magazine. When the world "chill" is used to describe a coolness in the weather, it has a positive connotation for me.

But when the word "chill" is used to describe a coolness in a relationship, it has negative meaning. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about - we've all felt it. Something happens in a relationship that causes us to feel distant or uncomfortable. Maybe we know what caused it, maybe we have no clue. But you can "feel" the chill between you and the other person, and it is one of the most unsettling feelings I know. Just today, I asked God to show me areas in which maybe I am responsible for bringing a cooling of relationships with others. I have felt a chill between me and someone else, and my feelings have been wounded. But the Lord has gently turned my line of thinking inward instead of outward. Rather than lick my own wounds, He is showing me that there is room for improvement on my end. Maybe I am the one who needs to work on bringing back the warmth. So while I am enjoying the recent chill in the air outside, I certainly don't want a chill in the air of my relationships.

I'm realizing that maybe I need to wrap a blanket of love and encouragement around the people in my life.