Snow No More, Please

          This year brings back many memories of two major events that happened about this time. a year ago.  First, we had a major snowstorm, 30+ inches if I remember correctly.  And second, a couple of days later, I ended up having five by-passes done.  I especially remember how the Lord handled these very unexpected events for us.
          You might remember my blog which described our adventures with snow removal.  I hadn't been feeling well and was scheduled for a heart cath the day after the storm.  So it wasn't safe for me to try and clear the snow.  And with her pacemaker, Dianne couldn't do that either.  But the Lord took care of it all for us
          First, our neighbor, Tom, surprised us and showed up and used our snow blower to clear a path for us to get out of our house and a path to get our car out to the road.  When Dianne tried to use the snowblower to clear the other half of the drive so we could get our second car out, another neighbor, Matt, came with his plow and did it for her.  We had never even met him before. Then the third answer came when another man, who was helping another neighbor, also plowed out our mailbox.  Now why did I even worry about all of this - the Lord had it all planned and under control.
          Now that brings us to 2017.  I  used to like snow - when I could use my snowblower and it meant a day off school.  But now neither my wife or I should be clearing it because of our heart problems.  I still  like snow, but only when it just falls on the grass and not on the streets or pavements.  And I actually hate it when ice is involved.
          And as the snow season approaches again I admit that I have become "anxious" about how we will handle it this year.  Anxious?  Worry?  Are they the same thing? But we have found nobody to help us out this year.  Folks say just pay somebody, but I can't even find somebody to pay.  Matt has moved and Tom is moving to Wisconsin.  So much any able bodied folks in our neighborhood who might be kind enough to help us.  We did have a man who was supposed to help us last season, but he usually failed to even show up.  Another area man that we talked to who does plow felt that we were too far off his route to help us and he already has too many to plow.  Another man said he might consider using his plow to help us but he first wanted to come and look at our property.  To the best of our knowledge he has never shown up to even do that.  And we are just too far away for our sons or grandchildren to help us, although we know they would be glad to do so if they lived closer.
          So what will we do?  I guess there are four possibilities.  First, we could give it a try with our heart problems and hope we survive.  Second, I guess we could develop ulcers worrying about it.  Third, we could decide to just be snowed in until days later when the snow has finally melted.  Or finally, I guess we could ...  wait ... and see how the Lord works it out this year.  Hopefully, once again, He has a plan for this.  He just hasn't shared it with us ... yet.
          In anticipation of the snow, we have run into another problem.  We purchased orange stakes to mark our driveway to guide whoever does clear it.  Last year the stakes were stolen several times.  So far this year several have been removed twice.  But fortunately, both times I found where they were thrown and have been able to put them back in.  I guess many of  today's youth have no appreciation for the problems faced by seniors like us.  I would love to find out who these vandals are and then try to get them to shovel my snow this season.  I would even pay them.  But I guess that is just wishful thinking.
         So I guess we'll just try to settle back ...  relax ...  quit worrying and see how the Lord will handle things this year.  But you probably won't hear me singing, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"