For those of you across the country, and I mean a huge swath of the country, we are in the middle of a winter storm. From Dallas all the way to New York and Boston, cities are experiencing massive snowfalls and ice storms. We have been fortunate the last several years that here in north suburban Indianapolis, we have been spared having to use the snowblower more than a time or two. In fact, last year I took the snowblower in for service and had a new carburetor installed.
Quite honestly, I considered getting a larger, two stage snowblower but I had concerns about how often I would really need to use it so I passed. Yesterday and today, I wish that I had made the decision to upsize my equipment.
It seems that it is during the winter snows that I can really tell that time is catching up with me. Back in the old days, I was like the Energizer Bunny – I could work and work and work. Today, not so much…
Last night, I was out twice shoveling the driveway and putting down salt. I did it the first time and then headed back out later in the evening. Thankfully, those two sessions helped eliminate a layer of ice that was on most of the other driveways in the neighborhood. But this morning, I had to start all over again.
Like a young kid, I still get excited about getting out the power equipment and working to complete the job at hand. But today, I was exhausted afterward. The snow was kind of heavy, for sure, but I really labored doing the long driveway, the dog run, the front walk and stairs, as well as the sidewalk along the parkway. It is just another indicator of time and age catching up with me.
Now don’t get me wrong – I didn’t feel sick or like I was exerting myself beyond reasonable limits. And I wasn’t a weekend warrior, getting myself into trouble with pulled muscles or getting hurt. I was just plain old ordinary tired. And it was a little discouraging to see that each time I finished the work, snow was still falling and already covering up the great job that I had already completely.
This afternoon, later in the day, I went out for a second time and did the entire snow removal thing again. I even added the downstairs patio so that Hank could go out and not slide all over the ice on the lower level. His first floor dog run was under a massive amount of snow and, yes, I shoveled it out just in case he will go out there. I wasn’t as tired as I had been earlier in the day, but I could still tell that I needed a rest afterward.
As I am writing this evening, I looked out the window and the snow is still coming down; I should go out again tonight. But I doubt that I will do the whole thing again. Four times in 24 hours is enough for me at this point. I have made arrangements for a professional crew to help us, presumably tomorrow afternoon, and so I may just wait for them to arrive and finish the job that I have started. I just don’t think that I have it in me to work another several hours on snow removal tonight…
Our verse tonight is from the writer of Hebrews. For those of us needing rest, we get some advice in Hebrews 4:10-11, “…for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” This rest includes the salvation that is a free gift from God as well as faith that God will lead us and that we won’t depend on our own resources and devices – rather we will depend on Him for all things.
I, like many of you, have accepted the free gift of salvation – but I do struggle from time to time with my faith that God will orchestrate the work in such a way as to get it all done. As has often been said, I am responsible for the work – God is responsible for the result! Tonight, in my weakness, I have the faith necessary to depend on the Father. My encouragement tonight is that Jesus invites us to take his yoke upon us for His burden is light. My prayer is that we, as humans, will set aside our sense of independence and remain humble as we ask God to share our burdens. I know that I will… Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…