I had a problem this morning.
I needed to pick my son up from the airport; but when I looked out the window, it was a winter wonderland. It wasn’t snowing hard, but the plows tregularly going up and down my street spoke truth to my mind: The roads were covered in snow.
It was too late to make other arrangements for my son however, as he was already en route from Edmonton. As I dutifully got into the car, I whispered a prayer for protection as I ventured out onto the road.
It was slow going, as there was hardly any evidence the road was actually under my car. I repeatedly thanked God that He had impressed me to leave 30 minutes early; and at the same time, I kicked myself for not having left even earlier than that.
Imagine my pleasant surprise when the snow had stopped falling by the time I had driven 10 kilometers, and when I had gone 20 kilometers, the roads were completely free of snow. It had been nothing more than local lake-effect snow.
Having grown up in a place where snow wasn’t a part of life, this phenomenon of lake-effect snow is still a mystery to me. Oh, I know the science behind it. Cold air masses move over the warmer waters of the great lakes, which heat up the bottom layer of air. This causes lake moisture to evaporate into the colder air, where it condenses, forms clouds, and sends heavy snow over a local area. Nonetheless, I continue to be amazed at how it can be snowing so heavily in one area, and just a few kilometers down the road, nary a flake can be found. And unless you are listening to the radio (which I wasn’t at 3:30 am), how could you know that the snow was only a local squall? The view from the car window won’t tell us that, and neither will our fingers, still frozen from cleaning the mess off of our cold vehicles!
It all reminds me of problems in life. From our perspective, they are huge, overwhelming and dominating forces that overtake us, burying us in their ferocity. From God’s perspective, however, they are nothing more than local snow squalls. So often we ask God why He has allowed this phenomenal storm that just won’t seem to go away. From His perspective, however, He knows it is nothing more “lake effect snow”.
Isn’t it written in His Word that He sees the end from the beginning? “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'” (Isaiah 46:9-10 NASB).
And doesn’t His Word also say that He will supply all our needs? “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19 NASB).
Notice this doesn’t say we won’t go through bad times; nor does it say God won’t give us more than we can handle. It simply says He will supply all of our needs. Jesus gives us great advice for these situations: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt. 6:33-34 NASB).
What this means is that if we focus on God, if we rely on Him for everything, He will come through for us, no matter how big the “snow squall” might be. In other words, to God, everything we are going through is nothing more than localized “lake effect snow”, snow that does not go on forever, snow that He will give us the strength to get through.
What kind of “snow” is falling in your life right now? Whatever it may be, just remember, it is “lake effect snow” in God’s eyes. Don’t try to weather it on your own. Give it to Him, draw from His strength, and be prepared for the snow to eventually stop falling and the road to eventually clear.
Oh, and we had no further difficulties with snow on the road…until we were once again back home…
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author — “Aboard God’s Train — A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer”, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.