LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD

A couple of snow storms passed through our area last week; three inches of snow fell one day and five inches fell a few days later. That’s not a huge ordeal for the upper Midwest; in fact, three inches of snow really isn’t that much for us. Sure, it's enough to shovel, mess up the roads for a day, and maybe we even get to break out the snow blower, but not much more than that. Now, a snow fall of five inches on top of the three inches already there, that really starts to build up. Initially, it’s very peaceful, the fresh coating of snow absorbs a lot of noise, and everything is bright from the fresh white snow. However, eight inches of snow can have a lot of weight to it. Some of the strains from the snow fall come in several forms; noise from all the snow blowers, sore muscles from shoveling, or a dented car bumper from sliding into something that doesn’t move. Over time, those things quiet down, heal, or can be repaired, until the next storm.

This picture displays how the weight of the snow is a burden on the pine. Photo credit: Shakyphotography.com

There are many pine trees in our yard. One of the characteristics I like about them is that they keep their needles year-round. In the winter, they have a deep green foliage, which is a nice contrast to the bright white snow. The downfall of keeping their foliage year-round is that there’s more area for the snow to gather on, thus adding a lot of weight. It’s not obvious at first, but over the years that extra weight has broken many branches on the pine trees. The oaks and maples in our yard shed their leaves in the fall, leaving just the spindly branches. These branches don’t have nearly as much mass as the pine trees and can handle the weight of the snow without breaking -- sometimes it’s beneficial to get rid of the extra layers in life to better handle these storms.

From years of burden you can see how several branches have been broken.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.