Frozen Locks

      One cold, January evening, I had a monthly meeting to attend. During the day, there had been a slight coating of snow, which hardly seemed like a travel hazard. Nevertheless, out of the abundance of caution, I began to prepare the car an hour early.
      Knowing that the car is tempermental in cold weather, I made my approach gingerly, remembering its penchant for frozen locks. In the previous year, I had been locked out of both car and house, in the cold, due to frozen locks on the car. So this time, with my keys safely in my pocket and pocketbook firmly strapped on my shoulder, I used a spare key to unlock the driver’s door and start the ignition.
      True to form, the driver door opened easily and the car started up immediately, with the spare key. Then, like clockwork, the driver’s door shut, locked and frozen, with me standing outside.
      I was able to unlock the passenger door, but as soon as I did, the lock froze, with that door open, unable to close. So, I sat in the passenger seat and turned the heat up and fan up full, hoping to eventually thaw the locks. Then, the passenger door shut, and the lock was frozen, with the door shut, locking me in the car, unable to open either driver or passenger doors or windows.
      I panicked for a minute, feeling trapped, unable to get out of the car! What if some exhaust was coming in with the fan and heat? But if I shut off the engine, the locks would not thaw and I was trapped in the frigid car. And last time I had called AAA, the agent told me that they could not open frozen locks and I would have to wait for warm weather! I prayed.
      I tried to open a back door and, voila, the back door opened, with the lock then frozen, leaving the door unable to close. But at least it was open, with fresh air, coming in the car! The car and I then had an uneasy truce, since the open back door assured me of fresh air and an escape, if needed. After 40 minutes of the heat from the car, the windows unfroze and were able to open, and shortly after, the locks unfroze. I was able to go to the meeting, as planned and was not even late!
      In life, our frozen locks can materialize in different insidious forms, trapping us, threatening our health and safety, delaying us or preventing us from doing what we are meant to do. What is your frozen lock? We need to pursue the warmth of the Father’s presence and Spirit and not ever shut it off, so that the locks will thaw and we will not be trapped in a frigid car.
      I later learned that there is a product, sold for only $1.69 “lock deicer” (isopropyl alcohol) that is supposed to help open frozen locks.