Neither Sleet or Snow..........
Another day, another snow storm. The weather has been a constant topic of conversation and concern for the last month. We have had to postpone or cancel so many meetings, services, celebrations, etc. When the weather has been bad the workers can't work on the building site. I expected to not see the workers this morning when I came on campus. I expected that today there would be no progress. My attitude was pretty bad.
Years ago we lived in rural Texas, in an agricultural area. The farmers lives depended on the right kind of weather at the right time. I can remember praying for rain just as the crops were being planted. Then prayed that the rains wouldn't come as the wheat, corn and cotton were just about to be harvested. I witnessed farmers whose crops were destroyed a few days or weeks shy of being harvested by hail and heavy rains. There were many lessons that I learned watching these farmers. The most lasting lesson I learned was from Ed, he taught me by his actions about the importance of a right attitude. Ed was a descendant of the original settlers of this small town of 650 and the town was named after his family. Ed was a farmer and rancher. He grew red winter wheat. The hard red wheat is planted in the fall and grows over the winter. The cold weather produces a harder, higher quality wheat. One year in particular year Ed's wheat was taller than normal because we received rain at just the right time. The heads were fuller. He was going to get top dollar for this crop. We knew that he was especially excited because he was one of our farmers that tithed off of each crop. He was so elated because the year before the crop had fallen short of his expectations. He wasn't able to give as much as he had hoped. But this year the crop would make up for what he had wanted to give the year before. Ed lived to give, that was just who he was. About a week before the wheat was to be harvested we had a typical spring storm. The sky opened up with wind, hail as big as golf balls and pounding rain. When the storm had past, we saw what was left. The fields that had once been so full of promise looked as if someone had taken a large mower and mowed the wheat down to the ground. Ed was devastated. One would expect him to curse or yell, but that wasn't what he did. Instead he knelt down on the ground and he praised God. Ed had learned that no matter what is thrown our way, its all in the attitude. We can either be grumpy or full of joy. I will admit I wasn't much like Ed this morning, my attitude was pretty grumpy. The weather had taken it's toll just like Ed's field of wheat. Once again the weather was messing up everything. Then I made a quiet decision that today was going to be a good day. I thanked God for the weather.
When I got onto the campus this morning, God had a surprise for me. The snow was falling, but the workers were here. There was going to be progress. But I know that even if the workers had not been able to work today. It still would have been a good day. Because I know that God doesn't care about wind, rain, sleet, ice or snow. He is still God, this is His building and He is going to build it. Even when the weather seems to get in the way.
Years ago we lived in rural Texas, in an agricultural area. The farmers lives depended on the right kind of weather at the right time. I can remember praying for rain just as the crops were being planted. Then prayed that the rains wouldn't come as the wheat, corn and cotton were just about to be harvested. I witnessed farmers whose crops were destroyed a few days or weeks shy of being harvested by hail and heavy rains. There were many lessons that I learned watching these farmers. The most lasting lesson I learned was from Ed, he taught me by his actions about the importance of a right attitude. Ed was a descendant of the original settlers of this small town of 650 and the town was named after his family. Ed was a farmer and rancher. He grew red winter wheat. The hard red wheat is planted in the fall and grows over the winter. The cold weather produces a harder, higher quality wheat. One year in particular year Ed's wheat was taller than normal because we received rain at just the right time. The heads were fuller. He was going to get top dollar for this crop. We knew that he was especially excited because he was one of our farmers that tithed off of each crop. He was so elated because the year before the crop had fallen short of his expectations. He wasn't able to give as much as he had hoped. But this year the crop would make up for what he had wanted to give the year before. Ed lived to give, that was just who he was. About a week before the wheat was to be harvested we had a typical spring storm. The sky opened up with wind, hail as big as golf balls and pounding rain. When the storm had past, we saw what was left. The fields that had once been so full of promise looked as if someone had taken a large mower and mowed the wheat down to the ground. Ed was devastated. One would expect him to curse or yell, but that wasn't what he did. Instead he knelt down on the ground and he praised God. Ed had learned that no matter what is thrown our way, its all in the attitude. We can either be grumpy or full of joy. I will admit I wasn't much like Ed this morning, my attitude was pretty grumpy. The weather had taken it's toll just like Ed's field of wheat. Once again the weather was messing up everything. Then I made a quiet decision that today was going to be a good day. I thanked God for the weather.
When I got onto the campus this morning, God had a surprise for me. The snow was falling, but the workers were here. There was going to be progress. But I know that even if the workers had not been able to work today. It still would have been a good day. Because I know that God doesn't care about wind, rain, sleet, ice or snow. He is still God, this is His building and He is going to build it. Even when the weather seems to get in the way.
posted by Anonymous at 4:46 PM
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