Well, after eleven winters in sunny Florida, Sandy and I move back north again, and what happens? The weather turns warm! After all the sweaters and coats we bought just for our return to the land of four seasons, we find ourselves having to quickly pull our Florida clothing back out of storage.
I have to tell you that—other than saving money on our utility bills—I’m really disappointed. (Kind of like when the year 2000 finally got here and there were none of those futuristic flying cars we had always envisioned!) I mean, after more than a decade in the Florida sun, I was really looking forward to the cold weather. When Sandy and I lived here before, I can remember having some real winters in Danville. One time we had 20 inches of snow on the ground, and we got our little son Jordan all bundled up in his big snowsuit—kind of like that kid in “A Christmas Story”—and took him out to play. Once outside, he tripped and fell headlong into the white stuff. I thought we’d never find him!
Anyway, where is all that cold weather? I thought that by this time—January—Sandy and I would be freezing to death. You know, hands shivering, teeth chattering, toes going numb, lips turning blue…all that good stuff. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since my teeth chattered! At this point, I’d even settle for just seeing my breath when I exhale. But, unfortunately, it’s been much too warm for that.
After the heavy frost we had back on the first Sunday of November—my first Sunday as your pastor—I really got my hopes up. I thought things were going to get cold and stay cold. I’m talking about the occasional ice, sleet, or snow…and, at a minimum, frost every morning. In fact, after that first Sunday—in which I ran late getting to church because of the frost—somebody felt sorry for Sandy and me and bought us some matching ice scrapers. You know, the really nice kind with the furry mitten attached to the handle. Ever since then, I’ve just been chomping at the bit to use mine. In fact, the first time we get a forecast for a real heavy frost, I’m going to intentionally leave my car outside of the garage overnight, just so I can experience the sensation of using a scraper again! The way things have been going, however, I wonder when that’s ever going to happen. Today (Saturday), I wore a short sleeve shirt all day. And I drove my car with the sunroof open. The sky was a beautiful blue, the sun was shining, and the temperature was all of 74—just 8 degrees less than Clermont, Florida, our former home. In other words, today was just a typical Florida winter day in Danville. All that was missing were the palm trees.
Truly, the weather has been strange lately…about as strange as my University of Kentucky Wildcats winning a football bowl game the other day. (Er…sorry, Clemson fans. I really didn’t mean to bring that up. )
What are we to make of all this unseasonable weather? Is there a lesson to be learned here?
I have to tell you that—other than saving money on our utility bills—I’m really disappointed. (Kind of like when the year 2000 finally got here and there were none of those futuristic flying cars we had always envisioned!) I mean, after more than a decade in the Florida sun, I was really looking forward to the cold weather. When Sandy and I lived here before, I can remember having some real winters in Danville. One time we had 20 inches of snow on the ground, and we got our little son Jordan all bundled up in his big snowsuit—kind of like that kid in “A Christmas Story”—and took him out to play. Once outside, he tripped and fell headlong into the white stuff. I thought we’d never find him!
Anyway, where is all that cold weather? I thought that by this time—January—Sandy and I would be freezing to death. You know, hands shivering, teeth chattering, toes going numb, lips turning blue…all that good stuff. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since my teeth chattered! At this point, I’d even settle for just seeing my breath when I exhale. But, unfortunately, it’s been much too warm for that.
After the heavy frost we had back on the first Sunday of November—my first Sunday as your pastor—I really got my hopes up. I thought things were going to get cold and stay cold. I’m talking about the occasional ice, sleet, or snow…and, at a minimum, frost every morning. In fact, after that first Sunday—in which I ran late getting to church because of the frost—somebody felt sorry for Sandy and me and bought us some matching ice scrapers. You know, the really nice kind with the furry mitten attached to the handle. Ever since then, I’ve just been chomping at the bit to use mine. In fact, the first time we get a forecast for a real heavy frost, I’m going to intentionally leave my car outside of the garage overnight, just so I can experience the sensation of using a scraper again! The way things have been going, however, I wonder when that’s ever going to happen. Today (Saturday), I wore a short sleeve shirt all day. And I drove my car with the sunroof open. The sky was a beautiful blue, the sun was shining, and the temperature was all of 74—just 8 degrees less than Clermont, Florida, our former home. In other words, today was just a typical Florida winter day in Danville. All that was missing were the palm trees.
Truly, the weather has been strange lately…about as strange as my University of Kentucky Wildcats winning a football bowl game the other day. (Er…sorry, Clemson fans. I really didn’t mean to bring that up. )
What are we to make of all this unseasonable weather? Is there a lesson to be learned here?
Obviously, unseasonable weather calls for necessary adjustments in our lives. When the climate is not what we expect it to be, we have to shift gears. People have to rethink their wardrobes, their travel plans, and sometimes their entire schedules.
Such is life in general. So often in life we anticipate that things should go a certain way, and when they don’t, we tend to respond one of two ways—either we adjust and press on or we quit and fuss. Clearly, the former is more desirable (and beneficial) than the latter.
Long ago, the Apostle Paul advised his young protégé Timothy to always be faithful in preaching the Word, whether “in season or out of season.” In other words, “Timothy, whatever the prevailing atmospheric conditions, whatever the climate of receptivity for your message, whatever direction the winds of culture or public opinion may be blowing, you still have a job to do. Make the necessary adjustments and then carry on, rain or shine.”
Does life ever rain on your parade? Are you ever confronted with winds of opposition, or with unanticipated changes in climate that make your task harder? Do you allow these unplanned seasonal shifts to frustrate you and hold you back from fulfilling God’s calling in your life?
Listen, whatever the season, God knows what’s going on—as surely as He knows tomorrow’s weather forecast long before any meteorologist does. And God is not a fair-weather friend that will abandon you. He has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you. So, don’t give up. Remain faithful to Him. And press on with what you know God has called you to do. At the same time, don’t be so rigid in your methodology or your approach that you can’t adjust and adapt when needed. Learn to be flexible. When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade. Remember that sometimes God allows adversity in our lives to remind us to trust more in Him and less in our own plans. And that’s a healthy thing!
Think about that the next time rain starts to fall on your parade. It just might be that God is getting ready to grow something in your garden.
Pastor Danny
NOTE: Wouldn't you know it, by the time I finally got this blog posted the temperature had dropped and the high today was only in the 50s. Better pull the jackets back out. Looks like Old Man Winter may get here yet.
Such is life in general. So often in life we anticipate that things should go a certain way, and when they don’t, we tend to respond one of two ways—either we adjust and press on or we quit and fuss. Clearly, the former is more desirable (and beneficial) than the latter.
Long ago, the Apostle Paul advised his young protégé Timothy to always be faithful in preaching the Word, whether “in season or out of season.” In other words, “Timothy, whatever the prevailing atmospheric conditions, whatever the climate of receptivity for your message, whatever direction the winds of culture or public opinion may be blowing, you still have a job to do. Make the necessary adjustments and then carry on, rain or shine.”
Does life ever rain on your parade? Are you ever confronted with winds of opposition, or with unanticipated changes in climate that make your task harder? Do you allow these unplanned seasonal shifts to frustrate you and hold you back from fulfilling God’s calling in your life?
Listen, whatever the season, God knows what’s going on—as surely as He knows tomorrow’s weather forecast long before any meteorologist does. And God is not a fair-weather friend that will abandon you. He has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you. So, don’t give up. Remain faithful to Him. And press on with what you know God has called you to do. At the same time, don’t be so rigid in your methodology or your approach that you can’t adjust and adapt when needed. Learn to be flexible. When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade. Remember that sometimes God allows adversity in our lives to remind us to trust more in Him and less in our own plans. And that’s a healthy thing!
Think about that the next time rain starts to fall on your parade. It just might be that God is getting ready to grow something in your garden.
Pastor Danny
NOTE: Wouldn't you know it, by the time I finally got this blog posted the temperature had dropped and the high today was only in the 50s. Better pull the jackets back out. Looks like Old Man Winter may get here yet.
