Bob Dylan sang about it, saying "the times they are a changing.” I think he was talking about the weather as much as the times...Seems like this has been the most popular topic among people no matte where you go. Reminds me of the fact that we can only talk about the weather and none of us can change it.
But, I must admit it has been a bit on the strange side...a very cold spring, short, but cold…-then, bam! right into summer but summer is almost over and we had to work hard to get temps in the 90's even in August. Now the leaves are changing in some places and we know fall is just around corner, waiting, cool and filled with leaves to rake. Makes you wonder where summer was and where it has already gone...
Then the rain... it just came and kept coming. Almost seemed like the day was not right until it had rained. Not just a nice soft rain, but thunder boomers and dark clouds that would make anyone wonder what was coming next. Cascades of rain, so heavy it never even slowed down at the eaves trough but in most cases just went right over them. Tomatoes with blight: gardens that were more like rice fields than vegetables and trying to get the lawn mowed between the down pours... Ah the gentle bliss a nice shower as we sit and watch God water the earth..
We have always talked about the weather and even God would have a problem trying to get the days to fit our expectations. Some are freezing and some are warm... some love the humidity and some of us hate it…some like dry days and cool nights, others like cool days and dry nights...it would really be something if we could all have our "really nice weather" every now and then. But, the weather seems to just keep doing it's thing and if you do not like what is there today, wait a couple of days, it will change. We complain that it is too hot and a few months from now we would love to have some of that heat as the weather is far too cold now…no longer rain, but snow and one can only wonder what it would look like if we get as much snow as we did rain...get ready to spend lots of time at home.
I have always said, "thank God we cannot control the weather." In some cases such as tornados and hurricanes it would be nice to be able to do that but it would only be one less thing for us to rely upon the working of God in our midst. The Old Testament, and some places in the New see the weather as one more way that God shows us His power and His control in the universe. He is the only One who can control it and we are called upon to see His might and working in what surrounds us... Listen to the thunder and hear the power of your God. Watch the lightning flash across the sky and see His wonder. Listen to the gentle rain and let Him lull you to sleep. Find a snow flake and realize there is not another one like it any place in the world... they are all different to show the wonder of their Creator. Complain about the rain if you want to and see how that holds it back from falling... maybe He knows a bit more about water retention and the need of plants lying dormant in the snow. After all, remember He made it in the first place and what He does now is to share it with you and me. Instead of complaining about the weather, even if we do not like it, maybe we should see the author and origin of it all as He divides the land from the sea and as He chastens the earth with forty days and forty nights of rain as people on the ark watched it come down in buckets. I think we are far better in enjoying the changes and seeing he sights He sets before us, for remember He rides on the clouds and runs with the wind. He sits in heaven and listens to the plight of men and nations, and still the weather will change...enjoy it and get ready to welcome Fall. That comes next. REV