Too Often Dissatisfied

            You probably already know this, but if not allow me to tell you. It’s hot!  And I mean hot!  In recent days I’ve played golf, cut grass, picked in my garden, and I’ve tried to walk or ride my bike.  There are simply certain times of the day when it is not wise to be outside for long periods of time. The danger of heat stroke is real, and it increases as we age.

            I want you to understand this though. I am not complaining.  When I moved back south from Michigan in 2005 I made a promise to God. I would not complain about the heat.  I will take July and August in south Georgia over winter in Michigan every day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

            One year in Indiana we had sixteen consecutive days when the high temperature never exceeded 0 Fahrenheit. And that is not a typo.  I mean 0.  We were told not to walk to the mailbox without gloves and a facemask. 

            We discuss the weather a lot, but there is really nothing that we can do about it. We have to live with what we get. I know there are folks who would disagree with me. They prefer the cold to the hot.  I remember as a teenager, when it was my day to pitch in a baseball game, the hotter it was the better I pitched.  My fastball seemed to be quicker and have more hop, and my curve ball broke more sharply when it was the hottest.

            When I think about the weather, both the heat and the cold, it is so easy to fall into a trap of complaining.  We are prone to want what we want when we want it. Don’t let it rain on the day that I have planned a fishing trip.  Please let there be snow when my family goes on the winter trip. 

            I have tried to learn what Paul talked about in his letter to the Philippians. I want to be content, no matter my circumstances. I want to learn to be satisfied with whatever God gives to me. It’s not easy to do sometimes. But God is in control, and He can be trusted. I pray that you will trust Him to do what is best for you in all that you do, starting today.