Who's In Charge?

According to the calendar, it is spring. You know, the time of year when flowers bloom and warmer temperatures arrive. And yet, yesterday, here in the Land of Oz, it snowed. In fact, it snowed a lot. While we saw four to six inches around Kansas City, some parts of Kansas received more than 20 inches of snow. And the weather guys here in KC are saying we may see snow a couple of times again next week.

When I first moved to Kansas City, I loved the snow. I grew up in southern Tennessee where snow was a rarity, and when it did snow (or even flurry, for that matter), the entire city would shut down. Being a stay-at-home for those first years after moving to the Midwest allowed me to continue my "don't leave the house when it snows" Tennessee upbringing. I would go to the grocery store and stock up on all the essentials just in case we were trapped at home for weeks. I would cook and build a fire in the fireplace and play with my children and enjoy the wintry weather.

Now, as a single gal with grown children, I am not as fond of the snow as I once was. I dread the days when I have to drive in to work with snow or freezing rain falling from a gray sky. My 50-mile round trip becomes a treacherous and slow trek when winter decides to make its snowy announcement. And when that announcement comes when the calendar says it should be spring, I am not a happy camper, not in the least.

As I watched the snow fall yesterday, and yes, it was beautiful with large fluffy flakes, I couldn't help but think that the calendar is not in charge when it comes to weather and timing. Weathermen can predict and anticipate and plan and try to gauge the various types of weather-related events, but it is the God of the universe Who is ultimately in control of not only the weather, but, well, the universe and all it contains.

Pondering God's control of the skies and all the universe gave me pause and caused me to give thanks for His sovereign power, not only of the great wonders in this world but also of the smallest details of my own life. Each of us goes through different seasons in life ... some short and some long, some easy and some hard, some joyful and some filled with sorrow. How thankful I am that God is in control of every season, every change, every event in my life.

So when it snows in spring or is warm in winter, look up and give thanks ... thanks to the Ruler of all things.