How’s the Weather?

“Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!”
– Psalm 148

It’s the day after Christmas, and I have no idea what the weather is wherever you are reading this. Perhaps there is snow and frost all around you, and you’re getting ready to do some shoveling. Perhaps you are somewhere warm where sea monsters frolic in the salty deep, and you get to work on your tan. Maybe there’s a storm coming your way, or a fire raging in a forest nearby. All this reminds us, it’s God’s world and we just live in it.

Where I live, the lovely snowy scenes can get old pretty fast. We shovel and shovel and still slip on the ice. And then when the snow melts, you don’t want to see what my yard looks like as it thaws, and we see all that two dogs produced over the winter. It’s no Christmas card, let me tell you.

Weather is humbling, and reminds us of all we don’t control. Yet when the power goes out after a storm, neighbors check on each other. A brush fire brings out heroes and rescuers. A tornado in one place brings healing rain to another. Weather intrudes, reminding us that we are not in charge, nor should we strive to be.

So when the snow cancels your plans, or the frost causes you to stay home from a game, or the rain changes the course of a party, listen for God in the natural interruptions. Perhaps God wants to spend some time with you, through the snow, the rain, the sun and the wind.

Prayer

For all the people whose lives depend upon the weather, I pray today: for the farmers, the construction workers, the wedding planners and the snow shovelers.  Be with the parade planners, the beachcombers, the skiers, and the forest fire fighters. Be with all of us whose lives are affected by weather, and let us see your power in this remarkable world you have created. Amen.

16177.jpg About the Author
Lillian Daniel’s new book Tired of Apologizing for a Church I Don’t Belong To: Spirituality without Stereotypes, Religion without Ranting is now available for purchase, but you can hear it all for free at 1st Congregational Church of Dubuque, Iowa