So Christmas and the New Year have passed. That means the long, cold part of winter is upon us. The holiday celebrations with their marvelous distraction are behind us, so the realities of winter now look at us without distraction.
Except of course it sure doesn’t look like winter out there. It's more like a premature spring breakup that isn’t really spring or breakup. It’s too warm and too wet.
I marvel at how much something as unpredictable as the weather affects us, not just in our selection of tires for our autos and clothing for our bodies, but in our emotions, moods, and even our treatment of others. I think it is a tendency we all have to want to know what to expect of our world. It’s a trust issue. Can I trust my world, the environment I live in, to act predictably?
This desire for predictability impacts every part of our lives. It sets the time clock of our lives. It allows us to move through times of difficulty and challenge because we know things will change, which is really the point of this. Predictability masks my vulnerability. Our bodies, for example, function best in a fairly narrow temperature range. Relatively small changes make us want to change or adjust our clothing, or the thermostat.
Our needs are amplified when our environment does not act “as it should.” If we read of a storm coming we stock up on groceries. Our need for sustenance is made more real to us when the weather threatens the short term food chain.
The point is we are vulnerable beings. We are dependent beings. We are driven by our needs, even the imaginary ones. And this vulnerability is something we like to hide. We seek ways to mask the tremendous needs that fill our lives.
Jesus spoke of the man who built massive barns to hide his surplus crop simply so that he wouldn’t have to worry about his ever-present needs. The man said, “‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’
Jesus called that man a fool. That very night he passed from this earth. His hard work achieved nothing. He entered eternity empty-handed.
So perhaps we should consider this weird weather as a blessing. It is a reminder that life simply will not conform to our assumptions or expectations, at least not always. Life throws us the unexpected. Planning is good. Being prepared is good. Planning and being prepared for the expected and unexpected is being responsible.
But what is equally essential is trusting in the One Person Who Does not change, whose goodness and love provide us with an “anchor for the soul.” He is the One Who, both sees every storm coming and promises to be with us in the midst of it.
Perhaps this weird weather is simply a really good reminder of what in this life we can and cannot count on. Christ alone is the One with us in every circumstance and situation. Not even snow in Alaska is as reliable as He is. Praise be to Him.
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