Anyway, that's not the point of this post. This snow day was one that sent some blessings to our little corner of the world. They may not seem like blessings to you. But they sure do to me. So, agree that they were blessings or don't. I mainly write things here to help me remember what God teaches me. I know He was teaching me today.
First of all, I went out to start the car for my husband so it could start warming up a bit for him. When I walked out, I realized we had had several inches of snow that had fallen and/or blown around overnight. I was determined to clear the driveway so Drew could easily pull back into the driveway and not have to trudge through snow when he got home from work. I started some coffee, bundled up, and headed outside. Of course, my luck would be that the key to start the snow blower was frozen solid in the machine. So, I couldn't do it the "easy" way. I had to shovel. No, I didn't HAVE to shovel. But I was determined that the mail lady would be able to deliver the mail and my husband could come in easily. So, I started shoveling. I chipped away at it, I got angry that it was so hard, I got mad that it made my shoulder hurt, my heart was beating out of my chest, my toes were freezing...but I chipped away at it and got it done!! OK, not completely done. If you come into our driveway, don't park on the west side. I didn't shovel that side. But the mail got delivered and I've had 2 cars (now that hubby is home) pull into the driveway successfully. So, the blessing there is that God gave me the strength and ability to shovel the driveway. Was it the smartest decision? Perhaps not. But I did it. My pain killers have done an amazing job and I'm proud of my accomplishment.
After shoveling, I made myself some lunch, watched a little TV and then decided to walk to my sweet neighbor lady's house for our weekly visit. Of course, each and every one of those visits is a blessing anyway. But today was exceptionally so. When I walked up to her back steps, they had not been shoveled. I'm guessing no one has been to see her for a couple days because there were no foot prints in the snow. That broke my heart. However, I'm thankful she leaves a shovel by her back steps. I grabbed the shovel and went to work. After a few minutes, she opened the door and said, "Well, bless your heart!" I told her she wasn't supposed to hear me out there but she was in the kitchen getting some lunch. I told her I'd be inside in a few minutes. I finished shoveling and walked in the back door. She was just finishing getting her lunch heated and was standing by the stove. She said, "You know, God is going to have a big crown for you in heaven." Those words have echoed in my head all afternoon. We'll come back to those a little later.
While I was visiting with her, I heard a couple texts come in but didn't check them. Then my phone rang. It was my husband asking if I had gotten his text. Oops. I'll work on making sure to check those a little better. Anyway, he said that a gentleman from our church was going to come take the flat tire off hubby's van so we could get it fixed and back on the road again. Dang it! Now that song is in my head! Anyway, someone was willing to come out in the extreme cold to kneel down in the snow and take off a tire that has been on that van for at least 3 years. Yes, the lug nuts were on there tight. But he was persistent and got the job done. Oh, by the way, he's NOT on Facebook. He "happened" to stop by the pawn shop and Drew told him what was going on with the van. So, last week's desperate pleas regarding the van saw no results. What a blessing it is to have a friend who cares enough to brave the snow and cold to help us out. Another couple who we went to church with years ago have offered to replace the tire for us. What an answer to prayer!
Later, a sweet longtime friend commented on a Facebook status and wondered if I had gotten her text. I told her I hadn't and discovered it was because she didn't have my new(er) number. She was texting me to tell me she had wanted to come help me shovel. Ya know, sometimes God puts people in our lives that are the kind of people we don't need to talk to every day or see often to still be close to them. This is one of those friends. We don't see each other more than a few times a year if we're lucky (which is sad to say since we live 10 or 15 minutes away from each other) but she and her family have always been there for us. You just can't find friends like that very often. I'm honored to say I have a few. Being an introverted person, I enjoy having that handful of friends that I can go for months without talking to yet I could sit and pour my heart out to them for hours.
Now, back to the crown in heaven. The friend from church is going to receive a crown in heaven for kneeling in the snow to remove a tire. The couple from our former church is going to receive a crown in heaven for sacrificing to replace our tire. My dear friend is going to receive a crown for her willingness to drive across town to help me shovel (among other reasons! She's just that special). So I ask you...are you doing things for others that will earn you a crown in heaven? Believe me, it's a reward that's worth the weight and the effort it takes to earn it.Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. Ephesians 6:7-8
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