"Frostbitten Hearts"

Written by Robert Bailes

2Corinthians 1:3,4
3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

What To Do For Frostbite

I know this seems like an odd topic, but I was reading about frostbite and thought it would be good to pass along. Here is what my Pocket Reference by Thomas J. Glover says to do in case of frostbite.

Symptoms:
* Superficial frostbite: Skin has white or gray patches and feels firm, but not hard. Once frostbite has set in it is not painful. No tissue loss will occur if it is treated properly.
* Deep frostbite may involve entire finger or toe or other body part. the skin feels hard and cold, affected tissue looks white or gray. Skin does not rebound when pressed. No pulse can be felt in the affected areas.

Treatment:
* It is best not to rewarm the effected tissue in the field, unless there is no other alternative.
-- The risk of damage due to improper warming is greater than the risk of delaying treatment.
-- Tissue that is thawed and then refreezes nearly always dies. Frostbitten tissue must be handles extremely gently.

If possible take the patient to a hospital while protecting the frozen area from further damage.

If thawing in the field is necessary, use water warmed to 100-106 degrees Fahrenheit in a container large enough for the whole body part to be submerged without touching the bottom or sides. Water must be maintained at this temperature, so an additional source of water is necessary. Gently circulate the water around the frozen area until the tip becomes flushed.

Warmed tissue is extremely painful. Get advice from a physician for pain relief. Pain after rewarming usually indicates that the treatment was successful.

Keep rewarmed extremities above heart level if possible.

If feet have been frostbitten and rewarmed do not allow the patient to walk on them unless their life depends on it.

So What's The Point?

You probably are wondering why I just shared all of this with you as at least half of you are in the southern states and never face a danger of getting frostbitten. Well, there is always the possibility of frostbite no matter where you are and anyone is susceptible of it! There is a body part that ca be bitten by the cold even in the warmest of conditions. It is the heart that i am referring to and you can all relate to this cold numbing feeling that comes over you when your friend, spouse, co-worker or leader says something that begins to send a cold chill over you until it finds it's harbor in our hearts.

It is very interesting how the cold effect on the body is very much like the effect on the heart or the spirit of a person.

Our Spirit becomes numb and stops hurting after a while as we are continually exposed to the circumstances that chill us. Eventually we find that there isn't even a pulse left in that area of our emotions and our spirit appears dead in those areas of our life.

If we find someone experiencing frostbite of the heart in our life, it is better not to treat them ourselves in the field, but rather seek professional help from the great Physician, Jesus Christ. It is there that they will find proper treatment as Jesus submerges there frozen Spirit into the living water of His holy Spirit that truly is perfectly conditioned to save and not destroy their heart! It is there that they can be sure that they will not stand a chance of refreezing and loosing their heart, mind and emotions to the bitterness that Satan uses to finally bring us to death. Many people take their lives every day due to the frostbite of their hearts.

Maybe they had received help in the field of life and thawed those areas that had froze but they didn't escape from the conditions and turn to God for help from above and ended up frostbitten again only to loose all that they had tried so desperately to save! As we find those who have been bitten by the cold and are in need of restoration, let's treat them extremely gentle and take care to not cause further damage by giving a little care and then leaving them to make it on their own the rest of the way. Let's take them all the way to the great Physician and keep them safe until they heal.

If you or someone you know has been exposed to so much cold that it is impossible for them to even move, the chances are great that the frostbite had made it's way into the core of their being and the very feet, the motivation to keep going has been frozen and numb. In these severe cases, we must help them understand that they must heal before allowing them to walk.

By this I mean that restoration will take time and we cannot expect someone to be back on their feet after a soak in the tub! This is very important lest they find themselves in extreme pain and back where they started with even more injury to the soul.

Finally, the pain. What do we do about the pain? Well, my pocket reference plainly says to see the physician for pain relief. I think that is the best advice we can take for the pain of the frostbitten spirit as well. Take time to get on your knees and pray and meditate telling the great Physician all about the pain you feel and He will bring you comfort and relief. I know this, because I have experienced it first hand in my own life of many unexpected events that had frozen my spirit at a time in my life. I can say that I understand, my friend, but I also can say that I have found the greatest Physician that a person could ever need to find healing of the Spirit!