The wood frog of the far north survives winter in a remarkable way. It freezes. Ice forms around its organs and between its skin and muscle. Its eyes turn white. Meanwhile its liver floods every cell with glucose, a sugary solution that keeps the inside of the cells from freezing. For the whole winter there is no muscle movement, no heartbeat, and no breathing. It looks like a little frog carved out of ice. Yet it is alive. When spring comes, it thaws from the inside out. First the heart starts beating. Then the brain wakes up. Finally the legs move. God’s renewal in us works the same way. He starts with the heart.
