Well, it’s December 26 and the weatherman was correct. It snowed and snowed and snowed, starting early this morning. By the time I got up, it didn’t look too bad, but that quickly changed. Here in Carmel there must have been 4-6″ on the ground, with more on the way, but the south got hit much harder. In fact, the cafeteria in Greenwood didn’t open today and, of course, schools were already closed for the Christmas break. It’s a rare thing for Simon to close their malls, especially the day after Christmas, but that’s what happened today.
For me, the day didn’t go much better. Last night, in anticipation of the storm, I went to the gas station and filled up the car as well as the gas can for the snowblower. I tried the machine when I got home and everything seemed fine. However, this morning, when I really needed it, the snowblower started but didn’t move. After removing the side cover, I determined that mice had made a nest there and had eaten through the rubber belt.
I won’t bore you with all the details but I was able to get to a local store that handles Toro and they had a replacement belt in stock. I got home, replaced it in the cold garage, and finally started on my mission to clean off the driveway. Thankfully, I was able to get most of it done and then noticed that a part fell off the bottom of the unit. Back to the store with the part in hand, a scraper bar. During my visit to the dealer, I was told that the damage to the bar was indicative of something far more serious that was wrong.
You guessed it, back with the snowblower – my third visit there today, to find out the metal housing was toast – that’s right, a repair not worth doing on a snowblower that was 18 years old. After some soul searching about what to do, I ended up returning home with a new model. Not exactly how I wanted to spend my day, if you know what I mean.
I heard that there is supposed to be additional snow on Saturday. I hope it misses us. I notice how much more energy it takes for me to handle the snow than it used to. The toughest part is the bottom of the driveway where the snow plows clear the street and throws snow back on the area that I have just finished. Back in the day, I would have been praying for snow to try out my new toy. Not any more. Now it’s just a tool to get the job done the most efficient way possible. And suffice it to say that today, there was snow everywhere. The whole day spent shoveling and blowing and fixing and buying. Just seems like such a useless day…
It reminds me of the book of Job in the Bible. Job, who probably suffered more than anyone else in the Scripture, became the object of Satan’s attacks. God permitted Job to go through his hardships, and while He eventually restored Job to his place of prominence and wealth, God also dealt with Job’s questions near the end of the book. Job was questioning God and God finally had enough. He rebuked Job and started to list a litany of things that only God could do and Job could not fathom.
The verse for tonight comes from God’s lecture to Job. He asks Job, in Job 38:22, “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail…” what a visual. The fact that God has the snow stacked up in storehouses to do His bidding. Or how about the psalms? In Psalm 147:16, we are told, “He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.” Or in Psalm 148:8, “lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding…” Think of the way that God controls nature – it is truly mind boggling.
My encouragement this evening is to let you know that we serve a powerful God who is involved in our lives on a daily basis, even down to the details of the snow. My prayer is that you will realize that everything in the world was created by God and He is in control of nature and everything that touches our lives every day of our existence. When you get tired of the ice and the snow, remember that God eventually makes all things new. And sooner or later, we will enter the season of new growth and once again, we will be amazed at the grandeur and majesty of the Father. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…