Chopping Away the Ice

by Karen S. Roberts

A devotion that compares chopping away ice to chopping away the things that bog us down in our lives.

In January my husband and I moved into part of our daughter’s new home.   It’s a large house with an in-law area.  The house sits on an incline that causes the rear portion of the first floor to be at a raised elevation from the back yard.  From our kitchen we enjoy a lovely view of the yard below.  It seems like we are on a second floor of the house.

Piled Up Snow on the Deck

Our kitchen has an entrance to an upper deck.  My son-in-law put a gas grill out there when they moved here last October.  We moved in during frigid winter weather.  Snow and bitter cold temperatures kept us from going out on the deck. 

Two major snowstorms dumped over 12 inches of snow each time.  With ongoing snowfalls during January and February, the snow piled up so high on the deck that we couldn’t get the storm door open.  It looked to me like the snow was thigh high.

An Icy Mess

As temperatures eased and temporary thaws set in, the snow compacted into an icy mass.  The height of the snow decreased, but then more snow fell on top of it. 

Lately we’ve had a few days here and there when the snow has been melting. 

I watched that icy snow mass dwindling on the deck with anticipation of what it will be like when spring comes.  I’m dreaming of sitting out there in the sun, decorating with a few hanging plants, and putting out a table and chairs for outdoor eating are on my mind.  But living in the northeast, I probably still have at least a month and a half to wait for that.

Chopping Away That Icy Snow

Recently on one of those rare mild March afternoons, my son-in-law decided that he wanted to use the grill on the deck.  But we still still could not open the storm door more than a couple inches due to that icy mess. 

With grins on their faces, my daughter and family came through our kitchen with a couple snow shovels in hand.  My daughter reached through the narrow door opening and began chopping at that snow mass, holding a shovel with one hand.

Three kids excitedly crowded around her.  Within a minute she was able to dislodge enough of it to open the door.  It didn’t take long until the parents chopped and flung snow over the railings with the shovels.  The kids bounced around and made snowballs, throwing them down into the yard.  

Joy

Once they finished clearing the snow from the deck, I laughed as I watched the kids’ expressive joy.  At one point the three of them literally broke out into a happy dance, laughing and shouting. Later their dad grinned as he fired up the grill to cook.

In spite of high winds from the rapid change in temperatures, the five of them stayed out on the deck for quite a while, celebrating that they could finally be out there, not even needing to wear winter coats.

Next winter we’ll know that we should clear the deck every time it snows so that we don’t have such an accumulation out there.

Clearing Our Spiritual Deck

Watching the enjoyment that the family experienced in getting rid of that snowy mess, reminded me of the joy that comes when we let Jesus set us free from the sin that accumulates and bogs us down.  

When people first come to Jesus, putting faith and trust in Him and asking Him to take over their lives, they often have an initial rush of joy.  Obtaining freedom from the weight of sin is an amazing feeling of release that is hard to explain to someone else.

As we walk with the Lord throughout life, there are times when we may get bogged down.  Perhaps we are not spending time reading and declaring God’s Word in our lives.  Maybe we’ve neglected spending quiet times in prayer and in listening to God’s voice speak to us.  Or we might get caught up in worry, anger, disappointments, fear, or hurt, and hold onto those feelings.

Whatever the cause, perhaps without even recognizing it, the weight of sin creeps in upon us.  We lose our joy.

Just as my daughter had to begin the snow removal process with some one-handed chopping with that shovel, we need to come to Jesus and invite Him to chop away whatever is holding us down.  As we repent and allow His work in us, that joy is restored.  The weight will lift.  The sin will be gone. 

And instead of letting that sin pile up again, let’s go after it whenever it pops up.  Daily confessing of our sins, acknowledging our weaknesses, and yielding ourselves to Christ keeps us clean and free.  Keep clearing the deck of your spirit.  That way you can experience joyful hope.

Through the power of Jesus, chop away the iciness in your spirit.

1 John 1:9  tells us to confess our sin to the Lord, for He is faithful and just to forgive us when we do.  That’s how we keep the inner decks of our spirits clear and clean.  And that brings joy.

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