Preparing for the Worst

Watching the weather forecast can almost be a form of gambling (just kidding). It is just that they can be wrong so often and yet we still seem to live our lives around what they say. There was a big weather system that went across South Dakota and kept coming across to us in Wisconsin. In South Dakota, at least one of the major universities closed because of the danger. As it turns out, the predicted snowstorm turned into rain showers and amounted to nothing. It was probably a wise choice, but embarrassing when it fizzled out. Well, that same storm is coming our way. This morning it looked like there was a good chance that we would get 3-6 inches. As evening started approaching, it seemed almost an equal chance of getting 1-3 inches. Since I was going to a Bible study early in the morning, I was watching the forecast. Just before bed now, it suddenly jumped up to the 3-6 inches again, almost two times as likely. I will have to decide in the morning what I will do. Will we get the storm predicted or will it fizzle out like it did in parts of South Dakota? When we look at the world, we see so much of the media presenting things as a worst-case scenario. We hear about the big snowstorm, the massive hurricane, the life ending political decisions, the health crises, and so on. I’m not saying they are never right, but it seems like each discipline tries to paint the next situation as one of the most traumatic things the world has ever experienced. Why is it we keep going back to get ourselves wound up again? We let the world control our emotions and yet when it comes to faith, which literally does present a life and death scenario, we seem to ignore it or pay very little attention. We don’t want to artificially hype Jesus’ second coming so that people are reacting to emotions and not grounded in faith, but we also can’t remain silent. I’ve seen some deaths recently that came much sooner than anyone expected. We don’t always have time to prepare, plus relationships are grown, not manufactured. Are all those around you prepared? It is not a question of “if”, but a matter of “when” life ends. We are in the season of Advent... a time of preparing for Jesus’ coming. Holy Spirit, show us how we can help our family, loved ones, and those in our communities, to prepare their hearts for You. Amen