The sun had set and heavy rain fell from the sky. I could hear water pouring out of the gutters as I felt my own gut tightening. My town was under a Winter Storm Warning and we were in the grip of a disastrous ice storm. I didn’t know it the two big pine trees in my yard would survive. I expected the power to go out any moment. I knew my wife and boys would be out of school the next day.
At 5:30, my wife’s alarm went off. The pine trees stood tall. We had power and she and the boys still had school. I turned on the backyard flood lights to find that a miracle had happened.
It was 33 degrees — and there was no ice.
One degree. We were one degree away from a disaster. It’s amazing how one tiny degree can make such a big difference. If it had been 32 degrees, we would have woken up to an catastrophic ice skating rink. Instead, it was just a gray, sloppy wet mess.
Thanks be to God.
As I was driving in I looked at my car’s thermometer and wondered, “What if I put in one degree more effort every day? How would that change my life for the better?”
Right now, I feel frozen in place. What if I pushed a little harder? What if I gave one degree more effort? I have a couple of big projects I need to do. What if I put in the extra work to get them done and get them done well? What if I used the energy I use worrying and put it toward my creativity?
One degree. It’s all it takes to make a difference.
Marshall!!! Thanks for this encouragement!