It's snowing today.  The snow has been falling since this morning. It's been coming down at a steady clip.  My driveway was covered with snow.  Heavy snow at the end, left by the plow.  Thankfully, I have a wonderful neighbor who will plow our driveway on these heavy snow days. However, there are still areas that need to be shoveled.  Sidewalks, the mailbox area, the edge of the driveway.  I'm not exempt from the work.

I have to shovel.  Well, I don't have to, but the mess of a driveway that is left behind would be a hindrance to our family. I'd be avoiding work now, and yet would be creating more work for the future.  Getting the snow off then would be exponentially harder.   I need to be diligent about constantly removing the snow.  I can't shovel once in December and hope it holds till March.  I need to keep shoveling, keep removing.  And, not only that, but I need to constantly work on chipping away at the hard snow and ice that has packed onto our driveway.

As I was shoveling, I was thinking about my last entry about the Suburban.  (Which, thankfully, is working right now.   It was simply a loose connection.) I was mulling over where my lifeline is connected and why it jiggles loose at times.  And, while I was pondering connections, I was pounding  the hard snow caked onto my driveway.  And then I realized that not only does my connection to the Lord need to be tight and firm, but I also need to make sure that there's not packed snow...ie strongholds, regrets, fears, bitterness, etc...that could cause me to slip.

Sometimes the thoughts and actions that can hold us back are buried so deep.  It's easy to brush off light powdery snow, but that hard stuff on the bottom takes work.  Hard, hard work.  There are lies that have become so imbedded in who I am that it involves persistent work to uncover them and destory them.  Lies that involve shame...there's no place in a daughter of the Lord's for shame. Years ago I wrote about the lie, it doesn't matter , on my blog.  I've had to be aware, vigilant, about exposing that lie.  If I didn't give it over to my Lord then it would begin to harden and solidify.  The fallacy of "it doesn't matter" would begin to wear down my heart and loosen the connection to our Lord. You see there are many times were actions and responses to the now and future are determined by these deep lies or hurts that are secured to our heart from the past. 

Heat melts the snow.  Heat from the sun, heat from the friction, heat from the force needed to chip away at rock hard ice.  When we read His Word, and pray about being set free from the lies that hold us back we are applying heat.  We are replacing the fears and lies with His truth.  His truth that builds us with hope.

It can be easy to pretend that we are okay, that nothing is holding us back.  When snow first falls it looks beautiful.  Yet, underneath that blanket of whiteness can be a layer of slippery ice.  One mistep, and you've fallen.  Work at shoveling away the barriers that hold you back.  Work, and better than that, rely on Christ to be there with you.  He wants me, He wants you, He wants us to live a life of freedom!  Remember...with Christ we can do more than we ever could imagine that we could do ourselves.  The song, "You Raise Me Up" just came on our radio.  "I am strong when I am on Your shoulders....You raise me up to more than I can be."  Our Lord, our powerful Lord, can lift us up, can free us, and can make our path right.  With Him we have the strength to pick up the shovel once again and start working.  To have faith when the world tells us we should have none.  To not listen to the lie of "it doesn't matter." He is our strength! 

Keep chipping away, keep leaning on Him.  The great thing about living a life for Him is the freedom that can be found in the midst of the greatest storms.  No matter how hard the snow, the rain, the storm, there can be peace.  Peace given to us from Him.

The Bible verse from Romans before is taken from my daughter, Grace's, Bible.  I love this verse.  I think this translation beautifully reminds us to examine our hearts...to chip away at lies of the world...and to be transformed in Him.  It reminds us to regularly examine our hearts, looking for lies, and to surrender to the truth found in our Savior.

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world,

but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

Then you will learn to know God's will for you,

which is good and pleasing and perfect."

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Blessings,

Rachel