Stay Off of the Roof!

I’m not allowed on the roof anymore. Not after what happened last winter. It was a task I had completed many times over the years. Now it is a family legend. In fact, our oldest son has a whole routine about it that he shares at family gatherings. It’s done from my neighbors’ perspective. I think he calls it, “Oh No! Old Man Berresford’s on the Roof Again.” Everyone laughs hysterically but me. I just sort of smile.

Sure, the roof was a little icy but the wood-stove chimney needed cleaned and as a “real man” I clean my own chimney. I took the necessary precautions, even tying the ladder to our other chimney. I went so far as to have Dee hold the base of the ladder for me. She didn’t like the clumps of snow and ice that kept falling on her. Go figure.

I crawled off the ladder onto the roof holding onto the rope that was tied to the chimney. Once sprawled on the rooftop I realized the magnitude of my error. But I was already up there and figured I might as well complete the job. On my hands and knees, carefully holding the brush and rods, I traversed the ice-covered shingles. Made it. Using the soot-filled chimney as support, I got to my feet. Major mistake! I slipped, my bad knee buckled, and I sat back down hard with my legs splayed around the chimney with Dee on the ground expressing in no uncertain terms her concern over my well-being.

I was more cautiously back on my feet within a few minutes that seemed like hours. Somehow, everything was a bit of a blur by this time, I got the cap off the chimney and was able to give the flue a cursory brushing. End of story, right? No, I’m still stuck on the roof. I considered my options. Wait till the spring thaw? Have Dee call the neighbors for help? That would be almost as humiliating as falling off the roof on my head. Have her call the fire department as if I were a cat stranded in a tree? I got up there and I was going to get down, one way or the other. I kept praying that it was not “the other.” I crawled up to the gable and raccooned my way to a point directly above the chimney where the ladder was tied. Do you have any idea how fast a person can slide down an icy roof on their posterior and how hard you can bang into a waiting chimney? I do. And, I’m still on the roof! Tightly holding the rope, I slid around the chimney onto the ladder bringing down more snow and ice onto poor Dee at the base of the ladder. Solid ground never felt as good as it did when I finally stepped off the bottom rung. I think Dee meant it when she said, “You are never getting on the roof again!”

How many times do we persist in doing what we know is not in our best interest? How many times have we failed to heed the warning signs before us? I had all the danger signs right in front of me but permitted my pride to blind my view. Our God knows what is in our best interest and he clearly gives us all the signs and signals we need. We are best served when we listen to Him. Otherwise, we could end up falling off the roof.