Weather is God's Plan

In a couple weeks I am planning to go on a weekend roadtrip with a friend. This being January, and living in the blizzard-prone midwest, I am praying already for good weather. (You can join me praying for good weather, too.) My excitement over this trip is such that I'm rather worried about the disappointment a weather cancellation could bring.

While pondering these facts in church this morning (not because I was distracted, no-o, but because church is relevant to real life), I decided that if the weather changed my plans, I would delight in what God does have for me that weekend. See, the weather is quite out of my control or yours, and it is my belief that whatever not in my control is particularly in God's. (This is only a way to look at the world, because I believe that God is in control of everything; but I must take responsibility for my stewardship of the things over which I have "control.") So weather is a gift from God. Every gift that comes down from above is good. God works all things together for good to those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose.

So weather is God's good gift to me. I often feel that way. I could lie back on the ground and watch wisps of fine vapor float over a few stars at a time, contrasting the sharp clarity of the uncovered stars with the pearly veiled stars. Or there is the brilliantly blue sky deepened and darkened by scattered enormously tall cumulous, filtering out the sunlight to let us glimpse the midnight color of the sky by the light of day. While out sledding over the Christmas holidays, I lay back in the foot-deep snow, crossed my arms beneath my head, and watched the currents blow geese across the wind-swept sky.

If the weather alters my plans, I can only conclude that is because God's plans were so much better. Whenever God doesn't give me something I deeply want, I'm almost excited, because it means He has something else - some other course for me. His ways are always better than my ways.

Weather. Lightning. Rain. Snowflakes. Clouds. Fog. Wind. Sunshine. God's gifts.

To God be all glory.