The Weather Channel

I have been thinking about the Weather Channel lately. What did we do before this helpful, yet weirdly hypnotic channel existed?

 Before Cantore stories? In case you missed it they just celebrated 25 years of Cantore. Don't worry, I am sure it will be on 43 times between now and Labor Day. 

What kind of crazy person stands in the face of a hurricane while millions watch, betting how many nano seconds before he careens into the nearest lamppost?  If you watch most of the footage on Jim C. I'll bet you he is struggling to stand upright as 70 mile per hour winds come screaming off a southeast coast directly at him. Our response?  We watch... over and over and over. 

People might be strange. 

Yes, I admit, my TV is probably set to that channel.  It's like early creeping, before facebook.  Everyone does it....  You watch as peoples lives come apart, (literally on this channel)  as their houses are twirled away in tornadoes or washed down stream as flood waters overtake their community.  Picture after picture, with lots of commentary, thanks to Jim.

People are strange.

I don't know the statistics but I will bet you (see a theme here?)  that most of us turn to that channel on a daily basis.  

Now, there are days that I can't even find the remote for my TV... but when it does turn on, it is probably on that channel.... unless my kids are home. 

Then it will be either Bravo or The Learning Channel. Yes, talk about extremes. You can determine which young adult in the home is watching which channel . 

Hey, you never know what those New Jersey housewives could teach that hunky Dirty Jobs dude. Now, that show might be worth watching.  Dirty Jobs takes On The Housewives Dirty Mouths...... now we are talking.... sorry for the pun.

I see similar themes in The Weather Channel and Bravo... lives coming apart while we creepily watch. Hmm...

Maybe there is something comforting about seeing what's coming our way. Where else in life do we get to see the storms approaching? 

Usually, we are blindsided by them. 

Here, on the weather channel we can track them, watch for the exact time, the strength of the storm, how long will this storm last. 

We can plan. Don't we love that word.....plan.

We get to plan for the immediate future. 

"We will be hunkering down till this one blows over kids!"

Trip to the grocery store. Toilet paper, check. Milk, check. Bread, check. Candy bars, check. 

Hold the phone....let's face it, we can live without milk and bread.. just fill the car with chocolate... and a little red wine.

 It's for medicinal purposes people, this is an emergency situation!

We can be prepared... and we like that. We also like control, at least I do... I love it really. Just ask my husband and kids.

There isn't much I can control but you betcha, if I can get those chair cushions inside before those clouds open up... Victory!! I win!!

Woo hoo, I'm doing the victory dance, at least in my head.

People like to control.

Planning is good. God gave us brains and common sense (at least to some).  Let's use it wisely, but let our wisdom be in Him and not the foolishness of ourselves.

Proverbs 16:9, "The heart of man plans his ways, but the Lord establishes his steps."

God has a perfect plan for each of us, unique and exquisitely created.  Do you trust Him to guide you through the storms of life or will you cling to what you can see at the moment?  God knows the future and though we sometimes stumble blindly along dark paths, He is there.  Will we trust Him enough for the next storm?

Jeremiah 29:11 says,  "I  know the plans I have for you, plans to give you a hope and a future."