The forecast, experience and recovery

    The weather!  This coming week the forecast is all over the place from pleasant to not so pleasant, from rain to snow.  How do we ever get used to this?  Then of course the weather people don't seem to care that they are wrong so much of the time.  Revisions to the weather can come hourly or remain the same for days.  How do we ever get used to this?  Our lives, to some degree, revolve around the weather forecast, experience and recovery.  Christians shouldn't expect mild and wonderful weather moment to moment or for days on end.  The seasons mark 4 different quarters of the year where we expect that season.  When you have snow in June or sunshine and 70 in December (remember I'm from the Midwest) we sometimes wonder about the seasons as well.  While working as a gardener in California I learned that when the gophers plug their entrances it was going to rain.  When the birds cleared the sky it was going to storm. When the leaves fell from the tree it was either dead or it was fall.  Pretty much everyone knows that when it snows that it's winter.  Yet, we act like we will never get used to the changes of the weather or the changes in our lives.
     It's been forecast that it's appointed to man to die.  You choose how.  You can choose the forecast and either die to self, sin and death or you can choose to die and spend eternity in hell.  Your choice entirely.  The forecast for both is final.  So, when you are making your daily choices you might want to check out that particular day, the signs and what is needed to live those choices.  Some of the forecasting has been done for you.  For instance, the Gospel is full of forecasted prophecies for all to read.  The Gospel also forecasts that the Christian won't have the hilltops all the time.  There will be other seasons to go through as well.  The forecast for activity is also in the Bible.  How about "love God and love your neighbor"?  There are many more if we will just read and listen to the signs.  Jesus tells us that because of our faith we will be persecuted and some will be killed. He also forecasts that his living in our lives won't always be east.  The forecast of our abilities to care for the widow and orphan, to lay hands on the sick and to prophecy God's word to our world remain through out our lives here on earth.
     Experiencing the forecasted events listed above isn't something so many of us want to endure when they are negative.  Experiencing the forecast of the good is something we rejoice in.  However, we can't choose one without the other.  Positive and negative live in the same room.  What we experience should fit us for our daily victory in Jesus.  Never mind that you may suffer or be blessed.  Experiencing is an action word that causes us to move through something. That means that yesterday is gone, tomorrow hasn't come and all we have is this moment.  During that moment we can choose to experience God's hand in our lives or not.  The choice is all ours.  The ramifications are also reflected back to us in positive or negative consequences.  Christian, you and I need to die daily and experience God loving people in a myriad of ways.
     Recovery is almost always the sunshine after the storm.  The silver lining in the clouds.  The pearl of great price found in the field and of course understanding more how God carried us through the storm.  Recovery is also an action word.  Some Christians do nothing after they are through the storm.  Christian, your recovery isn't over until Jesus says it's over!  How about your input into family, friends and others who need you to be part of their recovery?  Do you portray a victorious life or won decimated by the storm?  Choosing to go through recovery is just as essential as going through the forecast and the experience.  Do whatever God directs your heart, mind and soul to do.  Just what is that?  Love the Lord with all your heart soul and mind.  It's always your choice.