Be like the Master

Matt. 10:25 "It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master."
That thought jumps out at me because as I was reading today after plowing snow, snowblowing and shoveling for the umpteenth time, I was wondering if Jesus ever had to shovel snow? Now I am presently recovering from the brink of exhaustion with this snow thing. And, as the statement says, I am supposed to be like my teacher, what would Jesus thoughts be about shoveling snow? I am not sure I want to delve into this because I am pretty sure I will have to change my thoughts about it and I really don't want to. Nevertheless, I opened this can of worms, so I better be willing to clean up the mess. I wish Kaity was here, she likes to pick in the worms. :}
First, I guess since the Bible teaches that Jesus was "tempted in all points like as we are," Hebrews 4:15, then it is certain that though He might never have shoveled snow like I have been doing, the wrong thoughts about having to do the labor were sure to have crossed His sinless mind and He would have rejected them with some part of Scripture like Deuteronomy 5:13 "six days you shall labor and do all your work." But of course part of the curse is that we should have to labor in hard work, Gen. 3:17-19. However, though Jesus assuredly labored in carpentry or the normal labors of each day, He did not sin in them. Maybe the 7 dwarfs had it right when they sang "off to work I go" on their way to the mines. Or Snow white as she sang "whistle while you work." It was her wasn't it. Finding joy in the work, because God commands us to work, no matter the mundaneness of the task.
Which leads me to the next thought, Jesus attitude would have been one of Joy in His work. And again He would have faced the temptation to not be joyful with the refrain from Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made, I shall rejoice and be glad in it." Thus, choosing joy when tempted to be angry about having to work shoveling snow or the like would be what Jesus would do. Hence, I have to change my thinking. And it has already begun.
This is really put to the test as I look out the window and see it snowing again. This has got to be the harshest winter I have seen in a long time. O the Joy!
Now I want to relate this to horses for a minute. I was dealing with snow yesterday at the barn and decided I would take a 1/2 hour and work with the horses doing some minimal ground exercises just to hone my ability to read their body language and give them them my intentions with my body language. So I grabbed the halter and lead and my training stick and opened the gate, to which they both ran to the other side of the pen. I don't think they thought it was enough for them to be like me/their teacher. O rmaybe they were like me more than I care to think, cause I didn't want to work shoveling snow. So I commenced to tromping calmly through the snow for the next 45 minutes or so trying to get Raven to catch me. Jake by the way eventually went to the stall when he realized I wasn't after him. Now, mind you, I wasn't going to work them hard, just play with them for a few minutes. However, Raven didn't want to play. So she turned what would have been a few minute exercise into a 45 minute or an hour exercise where I walked from one end of the arena through thigh deep snow, until a nice path was wore down, pushing her until she would hook on to me. Four or five times I got her to hook on to me and follow my body language, without restraint, never once put the halter on her, and moved her forward as though leading her, and then to a stop and back a few steps. It was cool and calm while she stayed with me. But she kept wanting to go on her own and so back to work we went. If only she would have read my body language, or, more likely, if I had been better able to communicate through my body language that I was only wanting to work slow and calmly to establish a better feel with her, it wouldn't have taken so long.
I think this is how it is with me and God. He wants to play by getting out the tools and if I would just go along by doing what I am responsible to do with a good attitude and spirit, it wouldn't take nearly as long, and the outcome would be much more agreeable. Hence, I have a lot to learn. And God in His humor is making it snow more so as to make me rejoice more.
How about you? Grab a shovel and start smiling. It really is enough for the student to be like his teacher. That is what Jesus says.