“Texas Weather”

Yesterday’s high was seventy-two,

Last night got down to twenty,

Clear and cool but then today,

The rain is comin’ plenty.

They say there might be snow and ice,

They’re calling single digits,

We’re puttin’ coats on horses,

My buckskin mare, she fidgets.

Bitin’ at the straps and snaps,

She’s never worn this thing,

But she will like it better,

When the norther with it brings,

That Yankee kind of weather,

That shuts us down, down here,

There’s one thing sure about it,

You really shouldn’t fear.

‘Cause after just a couple days,

You’ll think it’s summertime,

We’ll be sweatin’ hot in tee shirts,

And it all thaws out just fine.

I was raised in Alabama,

Never has this much extreme,

It was typically four seasons,

And all spread out it seems.

But we might get all four of them,

In just one Texas week,

I’m really not complainin’,

It’s just facts of which I speak.

You never get bored with it,

‘Cause surprise is on the way,

We love to talk about it,

But the thing they’ll never say,

I wish this rain would go away,

No sir, you won’t hear that,

‘Cause it gets dry as desert sand,

For us it’s tit for tat.

Complainin’ is a waste of breath,

And we’re not in control,

Of wind that blows or rain that falls,

And if it’s hot or cold,

The smartest of the smart, you see,

Just give us their best guess,

And when they’re right and sometimes wrong,

We listen, nonetheless.

Good old Texas weather,

To some might be a pain,

But just hold on a little while,

It never stays the same.

“Therefore, be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the preci8ous produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.” (James 5:7, NAS)

Trusting in the Lord requires patience. James compares us to farmers who are dependent upon the rain to water their harvest, and bring forth its fruit. People who live closer to the soil realize they are really at the mercy of the weather, and cannot control what happens. There is an element of faith anytime anything is planted, and I believe that’s one reason we have become more secularized by our urban lifestyles. There are an ever-increasing number of people who live almost their whole lives inside which is climate-controlled. But not farmers, and not followers of Jesus Christ. Our patience comes from relying on Him no matter the weather.

Lord, teach us to trust in You, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Clark Kelley Price, used by permission. Thanks, Clark, and God bless you.