The Forecast

The clock radio snapped on at 6 am and I heard the weather man in London proclaiming another sizzling day (relatively speaking). He then went through the usual geographical sweep of the British Isles, starting with the Southeast and London, ending with the north of Scotland. 

I always expect things to begin to go downhill as he comes north but no, this morning he declared everywhere except the far northern isles of Shetland and Orkney would be baking in nearly 70 degree temperatures. 

What a disappointment to open the curtain and see the heavy cloud layer. As I walked Dusty down the familiar paths, I wondered why, in this day and age, the weather man in London doesn’t just skype someone in Aberdeen and get a quick look at the skies, and give a report that more accurately reflects what is going on.

The forecast was marvellous; reality was a disappointment.

Life can be like that. All the signs point to success, perhaps, but then things don’t pan out as expected. We have a choice. We can revise our expectations and walk in real-time reality, which many may argue is the sane thing to do, or we can continue to keep our eye on the forecast, on the higher expectations, and walk in hope.

Life with God gives us the security to know that the forecast, as we read in the Bible, is wonderful, and that he is faithful to do what he has promised to do. 

Maybe today it feels like the clouds have gathered over you and it’s just about to pour, but never mind. The forecast for eternity is breath-taking. It’s not pie-in-the-sky-when-you-die, either. Because we can rely on Jesus to do what he has promised, it’s pie on your plate today. 

No matter what today holds, with God I can walk through it with a spring in my step and a song in my heart. Notice I said ‘with God’, because without him, I’d be dragging my feet sometimes.