Thankful for Shoveling Snow and Hits on the Head

Where as a typical morning, upon waking, I would go out for a run.  The past couple of days this hasn't been the case.  We have been getting a bit of snow.  Not a lot, but enough to cover our driveway.

This morning wasn't really different from other mornings with snow, except for that fact that I was hit on the head by the Holy Spirit. 

 

Conviction is good for our hearts. 

My "normal" routine of shoveling, probably like yours, is to start at the edge of our garage and slowly make my way down to the street.  This morning was just that.  I started scooping off the inch or so of white powder and kept moving along.  I wasn't paying attention to much. Just enjoying the quiet of the morning.

Shoveling the driveway, of course, is just part of the routine.  There is our front walk, that leads to our front door and our sidewalk in front of our house.  And our neighbors house.  Bruce.

For some reason, Bruce doesn't like to shovel his sidewalk. Or driveway for some reason.  This morning while shoveling in front of Bruce's house, I started thinking, "Bruce never really thanks me for shoveling his driveway... I wonder why... Here I am, breaking my back, for what? For this?  Bruce needs to thank me for doing this service for him.  I mean, he has a snow-blower, why doesn't he use it. Here I am shoveling! Bruce, you need to thank me for all that I am doing for you."

 

Then he hit me. Not Bruce, but the Holy Spirit. It was like a 2x4 to the head.  

I immediately remembered a conversation that my son and I had a month or so ago.  We were talking about tithes and offerings.  Giving and then also receiving.  The one thing that I remember, my son saying was,

"We don't give to get. We give because we have been given much."

Boom. There it was.

What was I thinking? How horrible of me to think of giving to get.  I was immediatly convicted of not serving/loving my neighbor. I was cut to the case. God used the words of my son to bring me to my knees.

"Oh God, I am sorry. Please forgive me."

As I drove to work this morning, Bruce was out snow-blowing his driveway. We both exchanged waves. He's a good man. I am thankful for him and for the sidewalk that connects our two houses.