Ice Dams

As my cousin prepared to leave her house for the year, we walked through a document of information on how to care for various parts of the house.  Some pieces of information were seasonal--what to do when it starts to snow or when everything starts to thaw.  I was told to watch the amount of snow on the roof and be aware of ice dams.

It's an understatment to say that we've had a lot of snow already this year.  There are multiple feet of snow piled on the corners and everywhere possible.  Mailboxes are just barely visible.  As I drove in and out of the garage, it looked like a lot of snow on the roof, but I didn't stop to calculate how much was probably resting there.

Last week, as I sat ensconed in warmth inside my house, preparing for Christmas I heard a soft new noise, kind of like dripping.  It's not the first time I've been startled to hear a new noise in my house, so I didn't feel too concerned (first problem).  As I finished packing, I figured I better identify where the noise was coming from before leaving for a few days.

As I walked around the front entry, I found that the noise was coming from the front door, where it was leaking in the house---not a good sign.  I called my parents, asking for their help over the phone and then went up on the roof to investigate.  To even get up on the roof, I had to clear a bunch of snow from the balacony and garage roof.  I then created a path up the roof toward the front entry area--no real fear of falling since there was probably 1-2 feet of snow covering the entire roof, preventing sliding.  So, to fast forward just a bit...my father and I spent around 24 'man-hours' on the roof, clearning the snow, chopping at some icy areas, installing heat tapes, and putting salt on the ice. I was so thankful to have his help!

As I look back, I wish I had better known how to prevent the problem.  I wish I had seen the ice building up and recognized it as the ice dam it was, creating problems inside the house.

I had all the information I needed.  I was told to watch for ice dams, and I was watching.  I just didn't know how to identify an ice dam.  I knew I needed to avoid them, but didn't know how to recognize them. My watching was kind of pointless.

I fear sometimes that's how I live my spiritual life.  I know I need to watch out for the attacks of the devil.  He's cunning and is seeking to destroy followers of Christ.  I know that he is the father of lies.  And yet, as I try to stand guard and be prepared, I don't always know how to identify his attacks. 

Just like others driving by my house probably easily recognized the ice dam forming on the front of my house, others often see attacks in my life for what they are before I understand.  That's why we need each other.  We help each other do the work of standing guard and of dismantling the ice dams (attacks of the enemy).  Alone the task feels daunting and impossible, but in community, our enemy doesn't stand a chance!

I pray that God will continue to open my eyes to be prepared and stand strong against satan.  I pray that he will enable me to stand beside my brothers and sisters and lovingly encourage and support them.  What will you do?