Into the Winter

By Pastor Troy

Yesterday we received our first snow fall of the year. I write this as if you haven’t noticed :). Even though I am from Minnesota (Go Vikings!), I have recently begun to dislike the snow. I mean, at first when the large flakes were coming down I watched them out the window and they looked so cool and reminded me of so many things I like to do in the snow….snow tubing, skiing, ice skating, hot chocolate by the fire and as my mind continued to drift I was suddenly shocked back into reality by a siren.

Then my thoughts immediately went to the amount of traffic that will need to get home at the rate of 5 M.P.H… I continued to digress as I thought about how much I hate getting into a cold car, brushing off my windows, getting snow in my shoes and then feeling the cold air on my face as the snow melts on my feet. If this isn’t enough, there have been plenty of accidents out there to keep all the body shops in business for several more months.

So as I look outside today, on a cold, dreary Friday afternoon, I am struggling with my personal outlook on the weather outside. I want to make a statement that I can’t stand snow anymore and am ready for spring! And just as I am about to take the plunge and make this powerful declaration, I am reminded of the weather this past August. Remember when it was at or above 100 degrees for so long? Remember what it felt like the second you walked outside and started to sweat? Remember how it feels for your organs to literally cook in the sun? Sitting down in the car would hurt because it was like 125 degrees inside with the sun beating down.

Now I have a dilemma, I can’t make up my mind about what I hate most, cold weather or hot weather. So this brings me to a startling realization: I only like perfect weather…somewhere between 65 and 75 degrees unless I am going swimming then it can be in the 90’s. If I am running I would like it in the upper 50’s. Overnight, it could drop down into the low 60’s and if possible I would like to keep the humidity under 10%. Not only do I like perfect weather, I like perfect food, perfect people, perfect drivers, perfect meteorologists, perfect everyone and everything. Unfortunately, this is not realistic. It is also not God’s plan….at least in this life.

The past few Sunday’s we have studied the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. His sisters and their friends were most upset that life had not treated them perfectly, as they had hoped and expected. They were hurt, upset and getting angry, because, just like the recent weather, life was not perfect! This Sunday we are planning to take a close look at what happens when we recognize that “perfect plans” are defined differently by God than they are by us. Sometimes what we think would be perfect cannot even compare to what God is going to do in our lives. When Mary and Martha recognized the fact that God ALWAYS has a better plan they responded with extravagant love. You will not want to miss the time we spend in John 12:1-8, as well as time singing, partaking in communion and worshipping together.

I am really looking forward to this Sunday and I hope you will be part of the excitement….even if it is cold.