Looking out my front door this last Thursday morning, I was tempted to just go back to bed and wait for spring. Twenty-four inches of white stuff had fallen during the night and it was still snowing. Where our cars had been there were now just two big white mounds. We were snowbound!
I groaned when I thought about the task ahead. The snow was too deep for our small snowblower to handle, so most of it would have to be cleared by hand. Shoveling out our driveway was going to take hours! The job seemed to be more than I could handle, but there was no way around it. Bundling up against the cold, I grabbed my shovel and plunged into the snow.
My brother-in-law pitched in, but, even with his help, it was slow going. The snow was up to our waists in places, but we kept slogging forward, shoveling our way towards the road. Three hours later the driveway was finally clear. How had we done it? One shovelful at a time!
Life is a lot like that. Often God gives us tasks which seem impossible. We shrink back from what lies ahead, overwhelmed by the enormity of what God is asking us to do. We’re tempted to just give up, but instead God tells us to keep going, to take up our cross daily and follow him. (Luke 9:23). He says to keep shoveling, trusting Him to give us the strength for the task, remembering “with God everything is possible.” (Matthew 19:26 NLT)
Are the drifts piled up pretty high in your life today? Does what God is challenging you to do in this New Year seem more than you can handle? Good, because now you realize you can’t do it on your own, anymore than I could have cleared the driveway without Danny’s help.
Remember “God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:25). No matter how high the drifts, no matter how hard the way ahead, with Him by your side, you cannot fail. So grab your shovel and get to work. He will give you the strength to succeed – one shovelful at a time.
Well said, Rich! SOOO true! Thanks for the focus and the inspiration! Blessings! Mike Lay