Folklore plays a vital role in the oral history of every nation and region of the world. It’s typical for old timers to reminisce with their friends about the legendary fish that got away. With each telling, it gets bigger and better. Such is the nature of a tall tale. But here in the Mid West, we tend to focus on weather lore above all else. In Indiana, when sensible people are sheltering in their basement, we’re outside taking photos of the funnel cloud. Instead of finding our focus in the forecast, we’re distracted by our obsession with it.
Often times conversations revolve around predictions from the Weather Channel and the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Who will get it right this year, the weatherman or the wooly worms? Even though the meteorologists base their forecast on computer models and science, a good deal of the time they’re off the mark. Though it’s always best to listen and comply with their warnings. Just when we let down our guard, we get hit by the ‘Big One’.
The historic ‘Big One’ in my lifetime was the Blizzard of ’78. All other snowstorms pale in significance. At that time, I commuted to Indianapolis for college. I barely made it home before the major roads closed. During this storm, some areas in Indiana received up to 3 feet of snow. The winds howled at over 50 mph while the temperature plummeted below zero. The snow continued to fall for more than 30 hrs. and the wind and cold persisted for several days, paralyzing many parts of the country for weeks.
Numerous stories of heroism and survival came out of the Blizzard of ’78. One such crazy circumstance involved my family. At the time, my father owned a small airport north of the city. All the flights from Indianapolis International cancelled for days due to the weather. But once the wind died down, Dad plowed out the runway and opened it for business even though many roads remained impassable.
A young couple called him desperately wanting to travel to Chicago O’Hare Airport to catch a flight to Hawaii. Their original plan was to fly out of Indianapolis International but it remained closed and driving to Chicago was impossible. Dad was their last option to get from snowmageddon to paradise. If they could get to the major crossroad near our airport, he would pick them up and fly them to O’Hare.
Everyone agreed on a point of rendezvous but one major obstacle stood in the couple’s way. Gigantic snow drifts clogged the state highway in front of their home. When Dad and I arrived at the crossroads, solid white blanketed the route to the north and nothing moved on the horizon.
Finally, two dark objects came into our line of sight far up the road. When they moved a little closer, we recognized two people bundled in heavy coats pulling a sled filled with suitcases. I admired their tenacity. They focused on their problem and came up with a viable solution. Their task wasn’t easy but they made it safely to the intersection and Dad flew them to Chicago with plenty of time to catch their flight to Hawaii.
As I’m writing this post, a major part of the country is digging out from a massive winter storm. All the warnings were correct. Thankfully we didn’t lose power…this time. But over the years, we’ve survived ice, snow, floods and high winds. Preparation is essential to finding our focus in the forecast. Extra water, a flashlight, wood for the fireplace and a generator come in quite handy in a weather emergency.
Why then are we so unprepared when life sends us other types of storms? We know they’re coming. Jesus told his disciples, “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John16:33). Follow the advice of the apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians.
Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare.
Ephesians 6:13-18 Message Bible
Finding our focus in the forecast means heeding the warnings and seriously preparing for every circumstance that comes our way (not just taking photos documenting the destruction). God gives us all the tools we need to weather any storm. But they are of no value to us unless we pick them up and make them our own.
