Cheryl Dale – Climbing Out of the Valley

All my complaining about the chilly, rainy weather has paid off. In abundance. The weather forecast is now predicting temperatures that were in the low 70’s earlier this week to be over 100 in the next few days.

Amazing how differently people react to such news. Me, I am excited. I can’t wait to strip off my sweater and enjoy some warm days. Of course, after a few miles on the bike in that kind of heat I will be cooked and panting. But I’m not thinking about that now.

My daughter, who does not do heat well, is having anxiety attacks. It hasn’t happened yet and she’s praying for a freak snowstorm.

My grandgirls have visions of hours in the other grandma’s swimming pool. My husband is rescheduling the automatic sprinklers to compensate. Stores are stocking up on ice and selling out on sunscreen. Barbecue grills are firing up. Air conditioners will soon be working overtime.

In a world that tries to control everything, all we can do is cope when it comes to weather. You can’t wish it away or plan it according to your schedule. It’s one of the few things that still remind us God is in charge.

It brings to mind Psalm 148.  Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! 2 Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven! 3 Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! 4 Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds! 5 Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, for he issued his command, and they came into being. 6 He established them forever and forever. His orders will never be revoked. 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, 8 fire and hail, snow and storm, wind and weather that obey him, 9 mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all livestock, reptiles and birds, 11 kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, 12 young men and maidens, old men and children. 13 Let them all praise the name of the LORD. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven! 14 He has made his people strong, honoring his godly ones — the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD!

Have you ever considered that when the sun blazes extra hot it is actually praising God at the top of its voice? When the moon is full, is it bursting with the need to proclaim His holy name? When the sky is cloudless and blindingly blue, is it expressing unblemished adoration for the Creator?  Is the soaring of a bird in the air its resounding worship song and the flash of a fish leaping from the water its attempt to get closer to God? Does the snow fall in soft, silent whispers and the wind whip in roaring triumph just to call out the name of the Lord to all who will listen.

Praising God is what we are called to do – even when our natural instinct is to complain. Nature is God’s way of assuring us that “kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges” are absolutely equal in their stand before the Almighty, whose “glory towers over the earth and the heavens”.  When it comes to the cry in the depth of our soul, the need in the farthest corners of our heart, the aching desire of our very being – every created thing can only find fulfillment in the same response – praising God.   

As the temperature rises in the next few days, I’m challenging you to turn up your worship and adoration meter by the same degree. Don’t let the sun or the moon, the rocks or the hills, the creatures of the earth or sea outdo you.

Tape the words of this Psalm on the door to your ice maker, on the dial of your air conditioner, on the jar of barbecue sauce you’ll be using, on the bottle of sunscreen, on the drawer with your shorts and tank tops, and wherever else you can think of to remind you that no weather condition or any other condition should keep you from throwing out your arms, lifting your face to heaven and proclaiming the greatness of God.

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