Photo by me
Which makes me one of the biggest wimps ever—the weather has almost zero effect on my lifestyle. I was going to go to the store today…ah, it’s a little wet and rainy—guess I’ll wait and go tomorrow. Think of all the people who this weather has a real impact on: trash collectors and construction workers, roofers and roofees, window washers and traffic cops. It has some impact on anyone who has to go to work, because no one likes to drive in the rain. And I haven’t included major weather disasters, like tornados and floods and hurricanes and droughts. The fabric of peoples’ lives can be ruined by weather. No wonder we all check our devices for the latest forecast–everyone’s life is affected, major or minor, by it.
Given this portal to potential catastrophe, who is to blame? What is God’s role? On some level, do we blame Him? We can’t blame Trump (except in some climate change-long range kind of way). When we witness the devastation of a tornado—the awesome power involved—does God engineer that? Or think of the poor girl who has made her wedding day the most important event in her life—and it rains that day. If God is not responsible, who?
Fallen world. We have the weather as a challenge to our human spirit. And I am happy to report that the spirit is winning. I recently did a mini-study on the Klondike gold rush…you would not believe the hardships those seekers endured, in terms of weather and terrain, in order to pursue the dream. It’s unfortunate that the dream was built on greed, but my goodness, how we humans can persevere! God gave us authority over the planet, but He did not give us dominion. No doubt, dealing with the weather is a trial—we are to “…consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance…” We are being tested so that we will endure. The more gracefully we can do that, the nearer we are drawing to God. We look for God’s hand in “Why did this happen?” We should look for it in “How did we handle it?”
Weather proves our diversity. We have demonstrated that we can prosper and procreate in any environment. After my first two years of teaching in Texas, I decided I didn’t like it there and was looking for our next place to live. We went to Portland, and it looked like the place. I told my friend’s mother-in-law. She said, “Can you live without seeing the sun for nine months?” No, I answered definitively. I’m not sure if she was warning me or protecting her homeland. A lot of people seem to like it in Portland.
How much should weather matter in where we choose to live? My parents retired to California, where they had both lived in their youths. My mom always used to say “This is God’s country.” What? Like God prefers a balmy climate? My mother was smart in many ways, but perceiving God’s intention was not one of them. I love that God makes Minnesotans Minnesotans, and Texans Texans, and Californians Californians. If that doesn’t prove the wisdom of diversity, what does?
Alluding to one of Bob Dylan’s most underrated albums, I am Bringing It All Back Home. The weather outside is crappy and I am unhappy about it. Bad weather and my mood—should it make a difference? No, no, no! I am like the disciples on the boat in the midst of a stormy sea—and Jesus comes walking across the water. Should I go out and join Him? O Lord, give me more faith!
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