Work With What You've Got

Last week, Kentucky was blessed with 6" of snow. This is a lot of snow for us and we did what any other American family would do: We put a coat on the dog, sat in a flipped-over turtle sandbox lid, and made our four year old push us down the hill in front of our house. At least that's whats going on in this photo.

Over the past few years, we've had little to no snow and the last thing we would ever consider buying was a sled. But, I wished we would have purchased one prior to this snowfall event that left us only to use our imaginations. So, we're all dressed up (even the dog) and the closest thing we have to a sled is a snow shovel! It was time to get creative...

Our first thought was of course, Walmart. But after a quick telephone enquiry, we found out that we were not the first to think this thought, because we were told (in a you've gotta be kidding tone of voice) that all sleds were sold out. Our next idea was cardboard. It didn't take long to realize that trying to keep a four year old from sliding off a sheet of cardboard is nearly impossible.

Just when I thought all options had been exhausted (including saran wrap, aluminum foil, and trash bags), my wife said, "What about the turtle?"

Yes! The Turtle is a great idea! You see, in our side yard is Will's turtle sandbox that has a shell-shaped lid. This lid is removable so that he can open it to play and close it to keep out the rain water and the local cats. Long story short, it worked. It didn't work great, but as you can see in the picture, it made for a evening of family fun that even the dog got in on.

So, if you are faced with a problem and need an answer, don't give up without using all you've got. Jesus said, "Knock and the door will be opened." I know this may sound silly to you, but we didn't pray about finding a sled. But, I'm sure it was God that guided Marci to the turtle. I just wish He would have kicked me at Walmart last week when I saw a large stack of sleds, and knowing the snow was coming, I told myself (and I stress SELF), to just pass them by...