It's amazing how quick things can change! People change. Circumstances change. Weather changes. It seems like everywhere that I have lived people tell me, "If you don't like the weather, just stick around because it will change in a minute." I've seen it do that many times in all the places I've lived. We've just been through a season of that here in Central Oklahoma. The whole state has been under a drought, but in the month of May this year we've been deluged with rain. When I say deluged, I mean deluged. Towns flooded. Roads and bridges washed away. Unfortunately so have cars, houses, people and live stalk. Several have lost their lives. We had an all time record amount of precipitation for any month in the history of record keeping. The year prior, we had a little more than 3 inches for the whole month. This year over 20 inches. We already have more than two thirds of our annual rainfall totals.
Living in Oklahoma we also are used to dodging tornadoes in the spring. It's can be a sunshiny day and all of the sudden conditions change and a tornado forms. We all know the drill here and you can forget watching your favorite show on any of the main channels, in the month of May especially, because they will be showing nonstop coverage of where the tornadoes are and where they are headed. This May we only had about 70 in the state.
The springtime is a volatile time weather wise here. This year, we only had 7 days in May that were not stormy. All but 7 counties had severe storm/flooding damage. It was wet and cold. But now it's June! Within a week we have gone from cool wet temps to hot and somewhat muggy conditions. It was in the upper 60's/low 70's a couple weeks ago. The last few days it's upper 90's. It even reached 101 on my car thermometer as I pulled into my garage this afternoon. It's amazing how fast things can change.
I've walked with people who went from a picture of perfect health to terminal in a matter of hours. I've sat with people who were gainfully employed with a six figure salary when they went to work in the morning and within a few hours after arriving at work they were laid off by corporate with no severance pay. I've counseled with people who thought they were happily married only to find out that their spouse was leaving them for another person. It's amazing how fast things can change.
The seasons of life can be challenging at best. We never know what is going to strike us or when it's coming. Just like us here in Oklahoma, it's sunny and the skies seem clear one minute, only to be headed for our tornado shelter the next.
I've always be intrigued by Ecclesiastes 3. There is a time for everything under heaven. I've used the passage at both weddings and funerals. There is a time to be born, a time to die, a time to sow, a time to gather in, a time to keep, a time to throw away, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to weep and a time dance, etc., etc. But my favorite part of this passage are verses 11-14. Solomon reassures us with these words, "He has made everything beautiful in its time." Solomon goes on to talk about the fact that it's the changes that God brings about in our life that causes us to long for Heaven and the things of God. He says that we should rejoice in the moments of life and opportunities and challenges and rewards and jobs and people God brings into our lives.
Most of us would love to control our environment. In fact, we do everything in our power to control our environment. It's when things are not in our control that we get anxious or uncomfortable or worried or depressed. Yet Solomon assures us that things are not in our control. There is nothing we can do to gain control. Jesus has the power to say "Peace be still to the raging storms." But, if I tried that with an oncoming tornado...well let's just say I'm no Pecos Bill. I'd be more like Elijah who was caught up in a whirlwind and ended up in Heaven. The changes of life, including the severe ones, difficult ones and their ultimate resolutions are designed for us to "fear" or more accurately "be in awe of" God.
God says that HE will make all things beautiful in its time. God is working HIS plan in us. Our job is to cooperate with Him and trust Him. We certainly can't add or take anything away. We can only focus on Him.
Ok God, I confess I hate not being to see how everything works out in advance. I hate having to struggle through difficult times. I hate facing hardships. I hate the hard lessons I have to endure for you to mold my life. I hate that I don't get a say so in your divine plan. But I trust in you. I can't wait to see how things become beautiful in its time as you mold things toward fruition. I want to be awed by you! I want to see your glorious power and creative spirit unleashed in my life. Give me a glimpse of the land flowing with milk and honey that's awaiting.
Living in Oklahoma we also are used to dodging tornadoes in the spring. It's can be a sunshiny day and all of the sudden conditions change and a tornado forms. We all know the drill here and you can forget watching your favorite show on any of the main channels, in the month of May especially, because they will be showing nonstop coverage of where the tornadoes are and where they are headed. This May we only had about 70 in the state.
The springtime is a volatile time weather wise here. This year, we only had 7 days in May that were not stormy. All but 7 counties had severe storm/flooding damage. It was wet and cold. But now it's June! Within a week we have gone from cool wet temps to hot and somewhat muggy conditions. It was in the upper 60's/low 70's a couple weeks ago. The last few days it's upper 90's. It even reached 101 on my car thermometer as I pulled into my garage this afternoon. It's amazing how fast things can change.
I've walked with people who went from a picture of perfect health to terminal in a matter of hours. I've sat with people who were gainfully employed with a six figure salary when they went to work in the morning and within a few hours after arriving at work they were laid off by corporate with no severance pay. I've counseled with people who thought they were happily married only to find out that their spouse was leaving them for another person. It's amazing how fast things can change.
The seasons of life can be challenging at best. We never know what is going to strike us or when it's coming. Just like us here in Oklahoma, it's sunny and the skies seem clear one minute, only to be headed for our tornado shelter the next.
I've always be intrigued by Ecclesiastes 3. There is a time for everything under heaven. I've used the passage at both weddings and funerals. There is a time to be born, a time to die, a time to sow, a time to gather in, a time to keep, a time to throw away, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to weep and a time dance, etc., etc. But my favorite part of this passage are verses 11-14. Solomon reassures us with these words, "He has made everything beautiful in its time." Solomon goes on to talk about the fact that it's the changes that God brings about in our life that causes us to long for Heaven and the things of God. He says that we should rejoice in the moments of life and opportunities and challenges and rewards and jobs and people God brings into our lives.
Most of us would love to control our environment. In fact, we do everything in our power to control our environment. It's when things are not in our control that we get anxious or uncomfortable or worried or depressed. Yet Solomon assures us that things are not in our control. There is nothing we can do to gain control. Jesus has the power to say "Peace be still to the raging storms." But, if I tried that with an oncoming tornado...well let's just say I'm no Pecos Bill. I'd be more like Elijah who was caught up in a whirlwind and ended up in Heaven. The changes of life, including the severe ones, difficult ones and their ultimate resolutions are designed for us to "fear" or more accurately "be in awe of" God.
God says that HE will make all things beautiful in its time. God is working HIS plan in us. Our job is to cooperate with Him and trust Him. We certainly can't add or take anything away. We can only focus on Him.
Ok God, I confess I hate not being to see how everything works out in advance. I hate having to struggle through difficult times. I hate facing hardships. I hate the hard lessons I have to endure for you to mold my life. I hate that I don't get a say so in your divine plan. But I trust in you. I can't wait to see how things become beautiful in its time as you mold things toward fruition. I want to be awed by you! I want to see your glorious power and creative spirit unleashed in my life. Give me a glimpse of the land flowing with milk and honey that's awaiting.
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