Most of the three inches of snow were still in the driveway when I got home from school on a recent Monday, just as they were when I left at 6:30 that morning. The minimal melting that occurred during the day only made it slushier—and messier. With my husband out of town for business and my daughters out of state for college, I knew the dreaded job of clearing that mess fell to me.
But I could leave it, I thought, looking out the window with my hands cupped around a mug of tea and willing the late afternoon sun to encourage a little more melting. I could also risk it turning to ice overnight, creating worse problems. Deciding on my first though least desirable option, I finished the tea, donned my jacket and boots and headed outside.
I had barely gotten started when a friend passed by with her dog, so we chatted a bit. Her driveway didn’t look much better than mine, and I sensed she was stalling the inevitable, just as I had done. A few minutes later, the mail carrier came along, and yes, I paused again, and we talked about the obvious—winter weather. Not long after, two elderly neighbors walked past. They didn’t stop to talk, but one nodded toward me and, glancing down at my driveway, said, “Wait a little longer, and God will take care of it.”
I suppose, I thought, and realized that is what I had contemplated just a few minutes earlier. But surely God had many more important things to think about than my slushy driveway. Eventually, I knew he would encourage some extra sunshine and warmth for our little neighborhood but also knew I shouldn’t ask him for something I could accomplish on my own. God had already blessed me with a decent snow shovel, an able body and a pleasant, albeit fading, winter afternoon, so I continued with my chore, pushing the slush and chipping away at the ice as the men meandered away.
Knowing God will take care of it, whatever “it” may be, reminds us to trust in his judgement and have faith that when facing challenges or waiting for answers, he is working to provide a solution, even if it takes time. Surely, we need to practice patience and rely on God’s plan. Though he will handle it all in time, as humans, we have free will and are still responsible for our own actions, even the somewhat trivial ones like clearing our driveways.
So many times, in recent months, had I prayed fervently, asking God to take care of what I could not. When my father was in the hospital after a bad fall. When my cousin was dying from early onset Alzheimer’s. When a co-worker miscarried—again. Those situations were out of our control, and we could only rely on God to take care of them. And he did, though not always in the ways that we on Earth would like. Still, we find comfort in knowing he watches over us, concerned about all that concerns us.
A while later, the driveway was shoveled, the sidewalk was cleared, and I headed back inside, feeling tired but accomplished after taking care of what I could so that God could take care of the rest.