Cloudy, Rainy and Disagreeable

Journal 2005 11 05
Cloudy, Rainy and Disagreeable

“Rained all the after part of last night, rain continues this morning, I [s]lept but verry little last night for the noise Kept dureing the whole of the night by the Swans, Geese, white & Grey Brant Ducks &c. on a Small Sand Island close under the Lard. Side; they were emensely noumerous, and their noise horid—…The day proved Cloudy with rain the greater part of it, we are all wet cold and disagreeable—    I saw but little appearance of frost in this valley which we call <Wap-pa-too Columbia>”

A cold, wet November morning just above freezing. Typical of life along the Columbia River still today and throughout western Washington and Oregon. Many people I know who come to the Great Northwest from other parts of the country experience this common reaction to the cold wet weather. They, like William Clark, find it disagreeable. Many times it makes us disagreeable. Then somehow, somewhere we either move away or overcome the impact of the weather on our dispositions.

And that simply put is the application of today’s post. Have you overcome the impact of the natural world on your disposition or has it overcome you?

Many in our modern world have relegated the Creator as non-existent or irrelevant to their lives. Ironically, most who turn from the Creator trend towards seeking fulfillment from His creation. Nowhere is this truer than in the northwestern United States.

"I have spoken these things to you so that you might have peace in Me. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world."
(John 16:33)

Jesus tells us to be of good cheer for He has overcome the world. He has taken back His own Creation and redeemed the decaying effects of sin and death.

I have to constantly ask myself, “Do I have His peace in the middle of tribulation (like rainy disagreeable weather and no sleep) manifested in good cheer? Or have I taken my cues from the ever changing wind and weather letting my response reflect natures mood and not God’s?”

I pray I’m choosing God’s good cheer and not nature’s wet and miserable one!