Cold Winters and Popped Clutches

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1

January 17, 2012

Aah...a few days of snow sure brings the season together. Ground was covered beautifully with snow and salt trucks were out performing their seasonal purpose. Sitting in with warm tea and wrapped in a fleece blanket just seemed to add to the comfort of knowing this season will soon pass as it does every year. Kids laughing and begging to play outside just set the mood for reminiscing. I thought about so many things in two whole days. It is truly fascinating what the human mind can store and replay at any given moment! I remembered playing outside with my sister Ashley in our my Little Pony snow suits and I remembered making snow angels with my eldest blood brother, Charlie. I thought about how, on Brashears Creek, where my grandparents lived, that Jason, Ashley, and I would climb up the 'bluff' behind the house just to get a huge icicle from the tip top of it! Now for those who do not know, the 'bluff' was a pretty steep embankment that went, what seemed, forever high! To children, we were literally climbing a mountain! We could have taken the weather any way it was given, our only complaint was not being able to play longer in it!

A few days ago, as the snow fell, I had to travel about 20 minutes away to pick up my husband from work. The girls were with a relative so it was just me and the Lord in the car. I had been thinking on something and was not paying attention and went around a curve just a wee bit too fast. It only spun the rear of the car around a little! Nothing too serious and it was so minute that I actually giggled a bit, thinking to myself, 'that was fun.' Yes, the old so called 'redneck' had resurfaced just for a moment! I began thinking of all the times some friends would gather together and we would go do doughnuts in slightly iced fields and how we would get stuck and panic wondering if the police would catch us this time! (remember this was BC...before Christ).Then, as I continued my travel to get Chad, I thought about the time my brother Charlie was coming home from the Iraqi war and all my grandpa seemed to think about was the driveway needing to be shoveled so my brother could make it to the top. So on my birthday that year, I shoveled the driveway, just so he would not have to walk any further than he had to. I think I put down about 6 bags of salt! I remember having to drive to Tractor Supply for more salt and got there only to hear they were out. So I went back and shoveled some more. I made sure the drive was clear, the steps were clear and the porch was clear. I was not mad that I did it, but I do remember thinking to myself, he better realize how much I love him. Truth is, I don't think he ever knew I did that. When he came home and we seen he was safe, the driveway did not seem to matter.

Another thought came to me about my brother Jason. I was sitting in an apartment he lived in and he came in saying he needed my help. His car would not start and was left in a parking lot not to far from there and he needed me to come help him. We get there and I am sure he was tired, cold and aggravated but he was determined that car was going to start! He said, 'okay you get behind and push.' Here it had been snowing and there was all this nasty slush on the ground and the temperature felt like 20 below and he says to push his little Nissan. Oh the things sisters do for their brothers! I pushed from behind and he had the driver door open and pushing with me then as we picked up some speed he jumps in to pop the clutch. I think we did this twice and the car started. I kept thinking to myself, he just had better know how much I love him! I had to walk a good piece back to my truck and once I got there out of the weather, it didn't seem to matter.

I knew both my brothers loved me even though they had not shown it or even though I did not get the recognition I had wanted. I just knew. Here I was almost pulling in to get Chad and the Lord says to me... "I have many times pushed and shoveled the things out of my children's way and I seldom get the appreciation for it. I am the Lord thy God and I am forgotten among these people. So many claim to love and know me but they do not see me there protecting them from possible life threatening situations. You see I have often been pushing while some never pop the clutch and I have made 'minute' car incidents to keep you from dying in major cars wrecks, but I never got the glory, but I know you love me. When you smile at the lonely you have smiled at me. When you offer a hand to the soldier coming home you did that unto me. When you pushed the car for the man whose day had been weary, you did that unto me. It is not the recognition of man you should seek." You see we get back to a place where it seems that things do not matter, but God never forgets. Everything matters to Him.

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40

So many of us fly through life thinking we have the answers and all the while Jesus is pushing just waiting for us to make our move. Some of us never stop pushing with Him and some of us enjoy the free ride but all He is asking is for all of us to pop that clutch and say 'YES Lord! It is all about you and I am nothing without YOU.' God made us to be loving creatures. Every time I was willing to help those in need, it was just a reflection of the Lord, which is why I never got the glory for it. It was not mine to have. Reflecting now upon it, I can say we better know how much we love each other, BUT more importantly we need to know how much Jesus loves us! Start giving God some praise for His deeds in your life and watch the beauty of His might unfold around you. Lord, I am blessed to know you and I praise you for your protecting and loving hand. Father of creation, I want to thank you for cold winters and popped clutches, because without this revelation from you I would simply still be pushing with you and not letting go so that you could 'start' the ignition of my soul! You know what Lord, why don't I just let you drive for a while, you obviously have a better record than me!

For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. Psalms 31:3