WEATHER REPORT

The weather influences, and sometimes dictates, our daily activities and travels. For most of us living in the upper midwest, the weather changes from day to day.  Talk of the weather is part of our daily routine.
In the summer, it can be hot or stormy, or it can be a picture perfect day for golf, picnics, etc.
In the winter, it can be extremely cold or heavy snowfalls and storms, which brings up travel concerns, insulation and heating concerns, and of course, alternate plans for every occasion.  We utter the phrase "weather permitting, we'll be there at ....." quite often.
When the weather is at extremes, we are very aware of it and schedule activities accordingly.
When the weather is nice and comfortable for an extended period of time, we tend to forget about it and only focus on our daily plans.

Even though we are more in-tune with the weather when it affects our schedules, it's always around us.  The weather forecasters don't stay home on nice days, do they?  They report the conditions every day.  Day and night, calm and pleasant, or severe and stormy, we always have weather.  We only react to the obvious changes.

Don't we usually respond to God in the same way?  When life gets shaky, or we are in the middle of strife or chaos, we reach out to God because our daily routine is being challenged or disrupted.  When life is flowing smoothly,  we tend to push God into the background until we need him again.  Like the daily weather, God is all around us each day.  Some days we feel his presence more than others, but He never changes; only our awareness and response to him changes.   Whether life is gives us a sunny day or a handful of stormy ones, God is near.  We tend to get angry when the storms come, but even the worst storms don't last very long.  Actually, storms are natures' way of electrically balancing and filtering the atmosphere. God is there waiting for us to reach out for help while navigating through them.  He doesn't always steer the storms around us, but He does give us an early weather warning to take shelter if necessary.  God can give us strength and comfort through each situation, just like a battery operated radio during a power outage.

No matter what the weather is like today, God is always near.

On rainy days, remember that God sent his Son for us.
On sunny days, remember to dress appropriately. 

Every day, it should look like reign coming!

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