The concert had been such a blessing! The message was uplifting and God's
presence, invigorating. But now, as we were heading towards the exit, we were
confronted by a rather unwelcome-albeit predicted!-scenario: It was snowing!
Hard! We were right in the middle of the last snow storm of the season, but as
we drove-very carefully!-back to our hotel, we were still filled with God's
peace, and arrived in one piece.
We awoke the next morning to a shocking amount of snow in the parking lot, with
more coming down in droves. Everyone in the breakfast line was talking about the
storm. The lady behind us said that she had already rebooked her hotel room for
the next night. She didn't want to find out, at the end of a day of waiting for
a storm to stop, that the hotel was already flashing a "No Vacancy" sign when
she needed a room.
This stopped me in my tracks. Turning to my kids, I told them to go ahead with
their breakfast while I attempted to get more information on the weather
forecast. There was a computer available in the lobby, and as I called up the
WeatherNetwork, my blood turned cold! The storm was predicted to last until 9:00
a.m. the next morning, and even after that, it would still be snowing lightly!
Heart racing, I checked the local road conditions: Snow covered with icy
patches! That wasn't too promising, either! Unless I wanted to take up the sport
of "car-skating," I had better make other plans! I pushed away from the computer
and headed straight for the hotel's reception.
My kids were exited. Another night at this hotel? Youppi!!! They were already
planning on how to fill their day with the swimming pool and the suite we had
been placed in. And we did enjoy our morning. In fact, we couldn't help but feel
sorry for those travelers who had no choice but to brave the elements.
Around one o'clock, with the motivation of the poor maid who was attempting to
clean our room around two teenagers and their dad, we decided to visit the local
store next to the hotel. As we walked outside we were shocked to see that it had
stopped snowing! And not only this, the roads were bare!
"Maybe the storm is taking a break," suggested one of my boys.
We decided to take advantage of this little "break", and we drove to a local
grocery store. We had to plan for meals for the next 24 hours. Believe me,
staying another night at a hotel can quickly turn you into a pauper, and we
would have to try to stay OUT of the hotel's restaurant as much as possible!
The snow never did start back up. It was officially over 18 hours before it was
predicted to stop, and when we headed back home the following day, the sun was
shining.
"The weather prediction was wrong, again!" We all exclaimed.
This brought to mind another time when the weather prediction had been wrong. We
had been in Cape Breton when a sunny day had been predicted. We were excited
because we had reservations to go whale watching. Only one problem: It was
raining cats and dogs outside! Our whale watching boat was cancelled because of
a heavy storm!
The fact that weather prediction is far from being reliable often puts us into a
dilemma. What to wear, for example. No matter what we choose, we have a good
chance of ending up with the wrong clothing! "I wished I had brought my
umbrella!" "I wish I had brought a sweater with me!" "I wish I had brought some
lighter clothes than these!" In all reality, it must be frustrating to work for
the weather bureau. Imagine the calls of angry people who relied on your
unreliable predictions!
There is only one place where everything predicted is reliable: God's Word.
Thousands of years before Jesus was born, His life was predicted in the minutest
details. The rise and fall of civilizations were also mentioned centuries before
they came into being.
Another event is announced in God's Word, but though the signs of the times are
being realized right in front of our eyes (Read Matthew 24 and the book of
Revelation), many choose to ignore them. Isn't it amazing that since September
11, 2001, our world has been dramatically altered? But even more amazing, no one
seems to consider this unusual or strange! We continue with our petty addictions
and our self-centered approach to life, not realizing that the greatest event of
all time will soon take place!
"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the
nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the
clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with
a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from
one end of the heavens to the other." (Matt 24:30-31 NIV)
Notice what the text says next: "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As
soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is
near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at
the door." (Matt 24:32-33 NIV)
Friends, the signs are all there. Jesus IS coming back, and very soon! There
will be great rejoicing among those who are prepared for His coming; however
there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth among those who never took the time
to really getting to know Him. Are you ready for His coming?
"It will be a sunny day today, with no clouds in sight."
Better take an umbrella!
Rob Chaffart
Rochester: snow storm Cape Breton: Beautiful, sunny, no precipitations No wonder
people are suspicious and unbelieving!
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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