There is an arctic cold front blowing in tomorrow. If you have been to the grocery store in the last twenty-four hours, you know exactly what I am talking about. It is like everyone suddenly decided they are going to be trapped in their homes for a month. The shelves are bare, and for some reason that I still cannot figure out, the toilet paper is the first thing to go. It reminds me of those early days of COVID when you would have thought there was a national shortage of basic hygiene. I have to wonder: does the cold somehow make people poop more? I suspect not, but you would not know it from looking at those empty aisles.
As I was standing there watching the chaos, I noticed something else that got those gears in my head turning. It seems to me that the folks with the most in their bank accounts are often the ones who are the most worried about the storm. You see them with the overflowing carts, eyes darting around like they are waiting for the sky to fall. Meanwhile, the folks who have a bit less seem to just be going about their business. Maybe it is because when you have a lot to lose, you spend more time worrying about losing it.
It makes me think of what Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-27. He told us not to worry about our lives, what we will eat or drink, or about our bodies and what we will wear. He asked if any of us, by worrying, could add a single hour to our life. Yet, here we are, fighting over the last loaf of bread because the temperature is dropping.
I think we often forget that our “preparation” should not just be about bread and toilet paper. We spend so much energy trying to insulate our lives from any kind of discomfort. We want to make sure the heater works and the pantry is full, but how often do we check the “insulation” on our hearts?
The world can be a cold, dark place, and it seems to be getting darker every day. If we are not careful, we can let that cold seep into our spirits. We start to rely on our own bank accounts and our own planning instead of trusting the One who is actually in control. I am reminded of Proverbs 3:5-6, which tells us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding. In all our ways, we are to acknowledge Him, and He will make our paths straight.
That includes the path through a winter storm.
Whether you are wealthy or just getting by, that cold front is going to hit the same. The wind does not care how much money is in your pocket. But if you know Jesus, you have a warmth that a cold front cannot touch. You have a peace that does not depend on whether or not you found that last pack of Charmin.
So, as you are hunker down and wait for the temperatures to rise, I hope you take a minute to check your heart’s forecast. Are you trusting in your “stuff,” or are you trusting in the Lord? This world is not our home, and the storms we face here are just temporary.
Stay warm, stay safe, and above all, stay close to Him.
Are you trusting in Him today? Don’t wait for the storm to hit before you say yes to the One who can calm it.
