Ask #029 - Down the Driveway
Ask #039 - Down The Driveway
January 23, 2023
So I woke up this morning to SNOW…Just like anyone else in upstate New York today so I am not special or different but I felt different this morning.
It was 4:45 am and I had this urge to get up and shovel. Like really, God? I am sure there will be a delay and even if there is not a delay and I start now there is NO WAY I will make it out of here and to work on time. So I put off getting up and just waited, but checked my phone periodically.
I stayed in bed until 5 am but then I just couldn’t ignore the urge to get up anymore.
I got up, put on my boots and a light jacket. Yes, if my husband is reading this he will laugh because the other morning I went out and started shoveling in just my nightgown and boots (but have been known to go out and shovel in my flip flops with no coat so this was an improvement.) For me there is something refreshing about going out in the crisp cool morning shoveling and getting the job done. When shoveling I don’t like to be all bundled up as I cannot shovel and throw the snow as freely. But back to this morning…
So I start shoveling as I normally would by clearing around the front door then my vehicle then the area my husband would park. Even though I knew he wasn’t going to be parking there I still felt the need to clear that area. So I have developed a method to more efficiently clear my driveway in a somewhat quick manner. So I started shoveling and I seemed to be getting nowhere. It was taking a long time because the snow was heavy.
It was still dark and I couldn't see well. So I just went on autodrive and trusted that I was clearing the way.
I began to see it was going to take me a while so I changed my typical plan and decided to clear half the driveway so that if I became tired and worn before finishing the driveway at least had a path to back out of the driveway. While shoveling I took my phone out to periodically check for a school delay.
Finally, the delay came around 5:40am. I was notified by the principal of my school. She sent an email out to all the staff stating that “WSTLC is operating on a 2 hour delay this morning so go back to sleep” Now at this time I was about halfway done with the driveway so I simply responded to the email with a thank you and informed her that I was already up and out shoveling. I mean since we had a delay I could have gone back inside and said “I will do this later” but I didn’t. I decided to act as my husband would and “get er done.”
While shoveling I was talking with God. Then all of the sudden He gave me some words and an analogy to share with everyone. So this is my attempt to share those thoughts. I think this is another reason I like to shovel. It is a peaceful quiet time where I am not distracted by anything else and I can just talk with God.
So just like I had a plan for clearing my driveway God too has a plan for each and everyone of our lives. I could have become overwhelmed and given up when I saw the monumental task ahead of me but what good would that have done me? Or when I looked toward the end and saw all the hard packed snow from the plow, I could have given up and decided just to stay in all day. Instead I took it one small area at a time.
A saying was once shared with me from a former coworker. I am not sure if it was a “Sandy Original” or if she heard it somewhere and shared it. But she always said…
“Inch by inch it is a cinch…Yard by Yard it is hard.”
All too often we reach for the end goal, but we have to remember that God has a plan and has mapped out our lives. Our journey along the way may be full of trials, but also joyful moments.
As I slowly and steadily cleared the driveway I was able to think about my journey in life. Sometimes the journey was long, difficult and full of turns. Sometimes I felt defeated. But when I was able to remain focused I was able to get the job done.
There were times in my life when I came to some slippery patches where I was sliding both to the left and the right, not certain of the path God wanted me on. But I kept going.
There were moments of “hard chunks of ice” blocking my way making it seem impossible to move past. Again I kept God at the center and I was able to pull through and learn from these moments.
As I was shoveling my body was getting tired and feeling worn. Several times I felt like I needed to stop and take a break or just stop “for now.” Instead of quitting altogether I tried to remain focused. I took time to slow down, take a deep breath and refocus.
As we walk through life there are moments when we feel tired, worn and we want to just “throw in the towel” especially when our “driveway of life” is long and full of obstacles. But if we remain in Him and He in us we can accomplish great things in His name.
So I continued through this driveway feeling tired and defeated at times but as I neared the road I became excited. I see an end in sight. Then reality hits. This may be the end, but this is where the plow has come through and packed the snow so tightly. And thoughts that I will have to stop and that I will not have enough energy or strength to finish. My body is now tired and I'm exhausted…ready to quit. But something came over me and I was suddenly full of adrenaline and ready to complete the task.
This too can happen in life when we have been on a long and tiresome journey, we see the end in sight but we become defeated or overwhelmed. This is when Satan attacks in full force. He sees that our victory is in sight and he is feeling defeated so he will push even harder with lies, deception, condemnation and hurt. Satan doesn’t want you to feel accomplished, loved and successful.
So whether you are still on that long journey “down the driveway” or if you are “fighting through the plow pile” remember to remain in Christ and He will remain in you. Call on the Lord in your times of need and times of praise. He will not leave you.
Keep asking, seeking and knocking and God will not only open the doors but He will push you through to the end in victory and freedom.
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