I live up my eyes to the mountains
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
I don’t know about you, but here the sun is only beginning to melt the massive amount of snow we’ve received this winter. When I look out my window I still see more snow than I see grass. The warm rains are beginning to wash it away, but we have another snowy day right around the corner.
The other night when we were in the midst of bi-weekly snow storms, my husband decided that the only thing to cure his winter blues would be a juicy summertime burger.
We layered up in our coats and scarves and hats and boots and mittens, which at this point in the season have begun to feel as akin to our bodies as our very own skin. We piled our padded selves onto frozen seats, buckled up, and made our way to Five Guys.
He was right. Those hot greasy burgers melted in our mouths like a sizzling summer day. As we ate our burgers we made plans for what we would do when we could see the grass again and grilling a burger was a weekly affair.
On the way home the roads were slick and snowy. We came off the highway and drove right past a car that had just slid off the road and into the snow bank. You have to understand that we have nearly four foot snow banks on the sides of most of our streets. Ava walks from the street to the sidewalk with the snow coming up over her head on both sides.
This car is up on the drift, the tires aren’t even touching the ground. We pass him and I know instantly what my husband is going to say, “I should go help him.”
I nod as we double back and park on the opposite side of the street. The snow is silently falling through the shadows as Nate dodges through traffic to get to the stranded car leaving Ava and I at the perfect vantage point to watch the unfolding drama.
At this point I should tell you that I’m not from Minnesota so I’m not sure what one is supposed to do with the car stuck in the bank. But Nate is from Minnesota so he knows and begins to do the things that you should do if you are from stuck in a snow drift in Minnesota.
Within minutes this big macho man in a big macho truck arrives. From the moment his boots hit the pavement it is clear that he’s going to the lay his massive hands on the car and show these two how it’s done. So he starts telling what’s what and everyone braces themselves for the big shove. He squats down like a center lineman ready to snap the ball and push the line forward—nothing. It doesn’t budge. A couple more pushes and the man stands up. He shakes his head, as if to say, if I can’t move it, it can’t be moved. He gets in his truck and drives away.
Nate and the driver continue doing whatever it is you do. Digging out snow. Rotating tires. Trying to get traction. So on and so forth.
Moments later another big dude arrives on the scene. Same story. He starts waving his hefty arms and calling out the play. He throws his weight into the hood and it doesn’t move. He leaves as quickly as he came.
Next a Papa John’s delivery guy pulls over. He jumps out with a miniature snow shovel. I would guess it’s the size of my arm. Nate, the driver, and Mr. Delivery take turns shoveling with mini-shovel until Mr. Delivery realizes that people don’t tip well for cold pizzas. He leaves the men with his child-sized shovel and drives off into the storm.
At this point, Ava and I start praying. I pray that her dad doesn’t get hit by other drivers coming off the highway onto this dark snowy road. She prays for four men. She is quite certain that four men working together will get the car out.
We sit bundled up in our cozy car the heat warming our toes as Jude’s slow breathing adds to the quiet hush. The storm is wrapping up our car in quilt after quilt of snow as Ava looks out across the shadowy street to the scene that is appearing more and more helpless.
“My daddy’s not going to give up until he’s out of there. He’s a boy who doesn’t stop until the work is done.”
It’s true, so true. Other than the part of about him being a boy, which called for a quick review about grown-up boys being called men. The car seemed brighter and warmer with the knowledge that her dad wasn’t going to give up. He was still out there shoveling and pushing, shoveling and pushing.
Before long another man showed up with a standard size snow shovel. The snow under those tires started flying. Ava cheered as the fourth man arrived with yet another shovel. In a matter of moments the four men working together dug out the tires, pushed the car out the bank, shook hands and ran off in different directions into the darkness.
We praised God for answering all our prayers as Nate rubbed his hands together in front of the heaters.
In Sunday school, Ava is learning the attributes of God. Each week they learn a new truth about God that corresponds with the next letter of the alphabet. The week after this storm, she was lying in bed trying to sleep while contemplating the fact that God never sleeps. It’s hard to do. Go to sleep while imagining never sleeping.
And so I was pulled onto her bed and into this puzzle. And together we contemplated what it means that God is always watching us and always working for our good.
“Ava,” I said, “Remember when we went out for hamburgers in that storm and we saw the guy stuck in the snow?
“Yes.”
“And remember how daddy helped him even though it took a long time and lots of other guys went home.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“And remember how you said, that daddy wasn’t going to give up until the work was done.”
“Yah.”
“Our God is like that, Ava. He never stops working for our good. Even when it’s dark and snowy. And the snow were trying to remove keeps piling up around us, he’s still helping us. He never takes a break. And, Ava he’s not going to stop until the work is done. “
It’s true. Even when we feel like our tires are up in the bank with no hope of traction. Even when everyone else gives up and drives way. Even when the snow comes down faster than the little shovel can remove it. Our God is still there, right there in the storm.
We also have a daddy who’s not going to quit until he’s done.
