When I look outside, I think I should be preparing for Christmas, not Thanksgiving. This all started several weeks ago when I sat in a medical clinic and heard Christmas music piping through their sound system. I was puzzled. I could understand if this was a store, but a clinic?
Then a week or so later, I drove past a house that had a bunch of Christmas decorations outside. There is some wisdom in decorating outside because of possible colder weather later, but I have always waited until after Thanksgiving to put my Christmas things outside. In fact, this year I was late in getting a few fall/Thanksgiving decorations out, so wasn’t in any hurry to switch them already.
But, now, the temperature is beyond icy, and the snow keeps falling. My pumpkins are frozen solid, my artificial fall flowers that I stuck in planters are frozen in place, and that scarecrow looks like it is shivering.
When I heard weather reports of 30s for this upcoming weekend, I thought that might be a good time to take down Thanksgiving and put up Christmas. After all, I have no idea what might be coming the day after Thanksgiving, when I normally do my switcheroo.
However, now I hear that rain is expected. Rain, I had not planned on rain. Rain this time of year usually means ice, so now I am uncertain of what exactly I will be doing.
Many of you in my age group will remember an old Disney movie, “Pollyanna.” It was about a little orphan girl (played by Hayley Mills) who comes to live with her Aunt Polly. In spite of her sad circumstances, and her strict aunt, Pollyanna always looks at the bright side, bringing sunshine into the lives of all she meets.
I never thought that I had a Pollyanna mindset. I have always thought myself to be practical and down to earth. However, the thought of hopefulness, and looking on the bright side, has been popping up in my mind lately.
A couple of weeks back, I had my teeth cleaned. Two good things resulted. One was nothing further needed doing, and then when I made my six-month teeth cleaning appointment it was in May. That gave me an uplift, thinking that in May it should be warmer, and the snow will be gone.
Over the past couple of months, we have heard long-range forecasts that this winter will be as bad or worse than last year, but I kept telling my friends that I didn’t believe that to be true. After all, it didn’t seem possible. Until it got cold, and started snowing; but I still am holding out hope that this cold and snow is not going to stay for the long haul.
At least it is good deer hunting weather, I thought. Now with rain in the forecast for opening weekend, my Pollyanna thinking is a little bit crushed again.
I believe that just leads me to remember that I have no control over things, and I need to place my trust in God. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Categories
