Life Is Like Shoveling Snow

Due to snowfalls the last couple days I am, once again, at my winter task of scooping trails to the chicken coop. I also scoop a trail to the little open front shed where the girls like to sit in the sun and take their dust baths.

I can tell I am not getting any younger by the way my back feels while I am scooping! I am also realizing that you might scoop a path once, but that doesn’t mean it is going to stay open.

I scooped those same trails yesterday morning….then it snowed some more. I scooped those paths last night and then it snowed and blew some more. Soooo….this morning I was once again scooping those same trails.

As I was scooping, it occurred to me that this scooping of trails is much like relationships and life. It takes a lot time and a lot of work to keep the pathways open and free of snow/junk. There is a satisfaction in knowing that the work does have it’s rewards….on both counts…snow removal and relationships.

While scooping I looked behind me and realized that my path was not always staying cleared. The “walls” of my path crumbled in places, clods of snow ended up in the middle of my trail and sometimes the scoopful of snow I tossed to the side ended up blowing right back where it came from. Yes…..so much like life.

I decided it was okay to not have a spotless path. I have a feeling that sometimes the “snow clods” in our way help build a little character. I also discovered that once that trail is cleared, you still need to walk carefully.

Yesterday after clearing a way; I fearlessly walked back down that trail to bring feed to the girls. On the way, my foot found a patch of ice hidden under a fluffy layer of snow. I did not face plant or smack to the ground. I did, however, slide gracefully (as gracefully as a 61 year old, overweight woman can slide) to the ground.

There I lay in a snowbank….after assessing if I had damaged anything (I had not) I had to grin. I was grateful my bucket only contained feed and not water! Thinking back I should have probably gone ahead and made a snow angel but the thought did not occur to me at the time.

The main thought that occurred to me was that at my next physical; how was I going to answer the question about falling in the last 3 months? (At a certain age they start to ask you that question!) Do I qualify a “sliding somewhat gracefully to the ground” as falling? Hmmmm, not sure on that one.

I pray you find blessing in the week ahead. I pray you find fulfillment in shoveling and building relationships with family, friends and God. The work is not always easy, there will be pain, you will either slide or smack to the ground at times…but the end result is worth it. It may not be perfect …..but that is okay too. May you find joy in the process.

 

Snow shoveling……
it’s challenging but not impossible.
You have all the skills and the tools you need.
You know you’ll have to work hard,
but in most cases,
heart permitting,
you know you’ll get the job done.
Tom Terez