I'LL DO THE HEAVY SHOVELING

Another snowstorm, another Saturday of shoveling, this has been a winter to remember, so far.  Once again, winter coat, gloves, earmuffs and a snow shovel in hand, I stepped out to clear the driveway of its fresh coat of snow that had fallen overnight.  Fortunately, it has been so cold that the 3 inches of snow was light and fluffy.  The one thing I hadn’t counted on, however, was the 35 mph wind that had created hard packed, 2 foot drifts along one side of the snow piles.  Tackling the biggest drifts first, I shoveled until my back hurt and my arms ached and still I had only cleared about 1/4 of our long driveway.  Walking out, carrying the other shovel, Steve said, over the roar of the wind, “Honey, I’ll get the heavy stuff, you go clear the lightly covered surface.  Thankfully, I went to where I could push the snow from side to side, quickly clearing my portion of driveway, while Steve shoveled the heavy drifts and chunks of hardened snow.

Many times, the “winds of life” roar, blowing our trials, burdens, and problems into hardened drifts.  With a “shovel” in hand it seems we face a daunting task and sometimes have no idea where to start shoveling.  Other times we work until we are exhausted, tossing aside every solution, despairing of ever finding the answer.  I wonder how many times we have missed the voice of God gently speaking over the roar, “I’ll get the heavy stuff; you take care of the lighter burdens.”

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

When life becomes overwhelming, I have a dear friend who always says, “Its ok God’s got this.”  We were not created to shovel the “hardened chunks” in our life, so why do we?  Whatever you are facing; whatever storm you are presently going through, you don’t have to “shovel” alone.   Jesus says, “Come to me and we’ll trade.  You take the light load; I’ll get the heavy stuff.  I’ve got this!” 

STRONG WINDS & DRIFTING SNOW

I have lived in the northern United States most of my life, so I am no stranger to snow, shoveling, strong winds and subzero temperatures.  Still, it is something that my body has a problem acclimating to every winter.  On the first Sunday of 2014, we awoke to a winter snow storm that would eventually dump 18 inches of snow on our little town of Grand Blanc, MI.  We shoveled the first 6 inches at 11:00 in the morning and Steve went out at least 2 more times that day in a futile effort to clear the driveway.  Monday morning, the driveway was covered with 6-8 more inches and then came the winds.  Not just a little breeze, oh no!!!  These were 25-30 mph Arctic winds carrying the new name of “Arctic Vortex.”  Tuesday morning, the driveway had drifted shut; Wednesday morning, once again, 2 foot snow drifts filled our driveway.  We laughed, so we wouldn’t cry and joked that we were becoming so familiar with this snow we had shoveled over and over that soon we would have to give the piles names.  Finally, the winds died down, the air warmed up and a soft rain tamed the drifting snow and our driveway stayed clear and dry.

How many times have I shoveled the “snow” from my life only to realize that overnight, it has all drifted back and shut down my heart?  There are times the drifts pile up because I have not been diligent to “man the shovel” in seeking God.  Other times it is a fresh storm, which requires a little time and “sweat” to clear, with God lovingly, helping to guide the shovel.  Then, there are the days when it feels as if the “Arctic Vortex” has landed right in the middle of my spirit.  I watch, helplessly as the swirling winds threaten to knock me off my feet.  My spirit chills as the “snow” drifts impede my progress.  Every shovel-full blows back into my face and I want to give up.

KEEP SHOVELING!!!!  The strong winds won’t last forever; they will soon fade to a gentle breeze.  Allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to warm your heart and showers of God’s blessing to tame the drifting snow.  After the winter snow is gone, your spirit will bloom again.

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

IT'S OK, TWO WHEELS ARE ON DRY GROUND

This morning there was the first, of the season, visible, measurable, sprinkling of snow on the ground.  With a steaming cup of coffee and nowhere to go, it really was a beautiful scene; just don’t expect me to drive in it unless there is a real emergency.  My friends and family are well aware of my aversion to driving or traveling on icy, snow-covered roads.  Living in the north, all my life, I have experienced my share of skids, spin-outs, slide offs and accidents due to badly plowed roads and in-a-hurry drivers.  I know I make my sweet husband crazy by my constant reminders of “be careful,” “aren’t you going a little too fast,” “it looks slick up there,” etc.  He has learned how to pretty much just “tune out” everything he doesn’t want to hear but sometimes his exasperation at me explodes.  Several years ago, we were traveling to the northern Michigan town of Gaylord to attend a church fellowship meeting.  It was winter, snowy and the highway was not plowed to my satisfaction.  My never ending warnings and muttering, “Jesus” under my breath finally got on his last nerve; probably because he was trying to concentrate on not going in the ditch.  Without taking his eyes off the road (thank God) he very loudly said words in which I have often found great comfort and have never forgotten. “SUSAN,” he said, “It’s ok, two wheels are on dry pavement.”

Our life is made up of interlocking seasons that sometimes morph into the next before we are prepared for the change.  One morning you wake up and notice a chill in the air, the vibrant green areas are frosted with snow and the trees are bare of fruit and leaves; winter has arrived.  Winter is not one of the seasons of life for which we yearn. It is a season of dormancy, in which we see little or no growth in our relationship with God.  It is a time of leanness and barrenness in our soul as we watch the greenness dry and wither.  It seems that when you try to keep pushing ahead on the path, you hit a slick spot and sometimes even spin-out and slide off into the ditch.  The temptation is to grab a hot cup of coffee and hunker down in safety until spring, but God has some good things planned, even for winter.  In Job 38:22 God asks Job, “Have you entered into the treasures of the snow?”  The snow falls in nature and in our life for a purpose and God provides “treasure in the snow.”

If you are in a season of winter, stand still when you must but when God says let’s go, move forward with the assurance, “it’s ok, two wheels are on dry pavement.”  God has never had a spin-out or slid off into the ditch.  He has 20/20 vision, even during blizzard conditions and a “white-out.”  He is a “SURE FOUNDATION,” a “STRONG TOWER,” and He is “ORDERING YOUR STEPS.”  When the icy winds blow, the snow piles high and your vision is limited, allow that “still small voice” to whisper words of peace, “it’s ok, two wheels are on dry pavement.”

NOW THAT IT'S AUTUMN

In the northern half of the United States we have distinct seasons. Although living in paradise may sound inviting, I have to confess I would miss the changing seasons. Winters may seem long and cold but we have Spring that holds all the promises of new life. It is invigorating to see the first crocuses pushing through the chilly ground. The tender buds and tiny leaves on the trees hint at the shade they will provide during hot summer days. April showers…more clouds than sun… keep the winter coat out until May… still the anticipation of summer fun is always in the forefront. Summers, the lazy, hazy days of summer; picnics, vacations, weekends at the lake, warm sun, roses, outside grilling, Fourth of July; summer is full of fun, but oh so exhausting. The flip side of summer brings bugs, lawn mowing, weeding the garden, pruning the roses, sunburns, high gas prices, and rushing here and there to make sure you enjoy every moment of the short three month span.

Finally, summer fades into autumn. Autumn is my favorite season. The days are warm instead of hot, the bugs are at a minimum, the lawn needs mowing less often; it’s time to kick back and relax; really relax. The best thing about autumn is the beautiful colors. The trees and flowers are in all their glory; showing the whole world the fruit of their labor. It is as if they have worked all summer just for this season. There is nothing like walking through falling leaves, smelling the aroma of burning leaves, or jumping into a pile of neatly raked leaves. Autumn is all about comfort; sitting in front of a fire, eating crisp apples, drinking hot chocolate topped with marshmallows and filling our tummies with hearty soups. It generates thoughts of home and family, confidence and security.

Now that I am 50 and have stepped into the autumn, I can appreciate the slower pace of everyday life. I’ve learned to value and actually recognize a Kodak moment. Life isn’t about getting ahead or making a name for myself, it’s about enjoying all the blessings God has bestowed upon me after the long hot summer. I feel like the tree that stands outside my front window. It isn’t a very special tree, really. It has a spindly trunk and its branches aren’t spread out enough to give much shade on a sunny day. There is no fruit or nuts to be picked from this tree. It really isn’t good for much more than a sad decoration until autumn. Then it bursts into a beautiful flaming red. The flowers under the tree which appeared as weeds all summer suddenly blossom into a hundred small bursts of color.

It may not seem that I have accomplished much, though I have been working hard to grow during the spring and summer. Now it’s autumn! My leaves are glowing with beautiful colors as I settle into the plan God has kept just for me since the day I was born.

Thank you God for every season of my life. Sometimes I’ve been too busy or impatient to recognize what you had planned in the years ahead. Help me in this autumn season to shine for You, to use all the many lessons I’ve learned to encourage those still in the spring or summertime of life.

GAIN AN HOUR

DON'T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Or you can stay up until 2:00 a.m. and change your clocks then because it is really only 1:00.

As I stated in a previous post, we don't really gain an hour of time, our minds just think we do and our bodies feel a little more rested after sleeping an hour later; unless you stay up until 2:00/1:00.

The only good thing about the time change is the extra sleep for 1 day. It is colder, the days are shorter and we have less sunlight. I NEED LIGHT!!!!!!!! From this moment, I begin to look forward to December 21 when the daylight hours begin to increase. My favorite verse this time of year is:

I Thessalonians 5:5
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

The Bible says we should cast off the works of darkness, bring to light the hidden works of darkness, have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Darkness is NOT a good thing. We serve a great big wonderful God who never leaves us without a promise.

II Corinthians 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Thankfully, I don't have to wait until December 21 to let the light of God shine in my heart and through me.