Sucking Up Unyielding Newspaper In a Snowblower

Stubbornness--For Good or Evil?

Snow, snow, and more snow seems to be the theme around here lately.  Just when I get to thinking that I can enjoy walking my spirited border collie outside in some sunshine, here comes another dreary storm.  Initially, after moving here from a sunny climate nearly 15 years ago, I delighted in the wonder of changing seasons, including the snowy winters here in Northern Arizona. Of course, my children were little then and snow meant sledding, snowhuts, hot chocolate, and snowmen in my front yard.  It also meant I had extra hands to share in the tasks of clearing the snow away.  Snow was rather romantic to me then and didn’t seem like a burden. 

However, with the passing of time, my “snowmance” --my romance with snow-- has waned.  Now I peek out my front window in the dark, early morning hours to size up just how much snow has fallen because that translates into just how much work awaits  to clear the snow from our driveway and sidewalks.  To complicate things our home faces north, which means we have a beautiful view of the snowy peaks from our living room window, but during the winter the sun never comes up high enough to naturally melt the snow. If I ever want to leave the house in my car it means the snow has to be cleared off the driveway.  It means work.  End of story. 

So last week, after a heavy snowfall, I looked outside to the heaps of snow outside and faced my morning job with a bit of resignation.  My husband was out of town working, and my daughters were all away, living their lives away from Flagstaff.  The workhorse this particular morning was me.  Just me.

    I happily consoled myself by getting out the oversized snowblower my husband had fueled and ready to go.  Before I started it up I trudged across the snow to pick up a newspaper I saw peeking out of the snow.  I looked for the other newspaper we have delivered, but I saw no traces of it.  I figured it didn’t make it up from Phoenix in the snow--a common occurrence during snowstorms.  I put in my earplugs, pumped the machine, and started it up.  I slowly pushed it and used the chute to blow the snow in the direction I wanted it to stay.  I had barely made one good sweep out to the road when I suddenly heard a horrible, grinding noise.  Oh no.  Nothing ever good comes from a sound like that!  I turned off the machine, looked at the bottom and only saw impacted snow.  So, foolishly, I now see in retrospect, I turned it on again, and quickly heard the same horrid sound.  Off it went again, and when I turned it over, voila, my problem appeared.  The other newspaper, dressed in an orange plastic shield, was sucked right into the blower.  It now looked huge and wouldn’t budge.  The plastic made it even more intractable.  The reality of my situation sunk in slowly.  I had really messed up  (innocently, but badly) and no matter how much I tried to undo it the paper wasn’t budging.  I tried and tried to get the paper out of the blower (this involved pliers, warm water to dissolve the paper, scissors, and any other implement I thought might help me dislodge it) ,and I managed to get out little chunks, but the main part blocking the blades was not yielding.  It stubbornly took its place and wasn’t going to move for anything or anyone.  

    After working for over an hour, I resigned myself to my fate, got out a shovel, and went to work.  I came in around lunchtime exhausted, nursing a sore shoulder, and fantasized how I might become one of those snowbirds who manages to avoid the winter season in a snowy climate.

Stubbornness versus Yielding-- 

     My power struggle with the newspaper, jammed in my snowblower, has had me thinking a lot about the notions of submission and yielding versus stubbornness and obstinacy.  From discussions about demanding babies to strong-willed adults, these themes have been presenting themselves to me lately.  Inevitably, refusing to bend always shows up in a power struggle and conflict.  While holding your position may sometimes be a noble and courageous act, it can also be a mask for utter selfishness and a desire to control others. Yet, bottom line, yielding versus non-yielding is a choice we make that always has consequences.  Moreover, it’s a powerful choice and one we should make with utmost care and consideration.  The question becomes--if I yield or submit will it be for greater good, such as fostering a relationship or outcome, or will it be out of lack of courage, weakness, and lead to wrong or undesirable outcomes?

   We need to remind ourselves, and teach our children, that we don’t necessarily want a submissive or a stubborn spirit.  We want to have the ability to choose to submit or choose to be stubborn for all the right reasons.  For God.  For other’s best.  For teamwork. For righteousness. For love.  For goodness.
   Likewise, there are situations when we must say no.  We need to stand our ground and not be moved.  We need to summon all the courage we have and refuse to participate in evil, injustice, cruelty, and even complacency.  
   Probably far too often, we need to yield and give up our selfish desires, deliberately and intentionally saying no to ourselves and yes to God and others.  However, there are other times when saying yes to God and others will mean we need to stay stubborn, strong, and unmoved like the unyielding newspaper (which, by the way, was only removed with a hacksaw.) The choice is ours.  The choice is powerful.  Let us pray we have the integrity to make the right choice.