They were calling for snow Tuesday. In Portland, Oregon, that means worry about school delays and early closings. It means I get e-mails from college students asking if they will be able to make up the exam, if they can’t make it to class. Mind you, not a flake of snow has even begun to fall.
I know I am a bit insensitive. I grew up in Pittsburgh and spent most of my life in Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. I consider driving in the snow a normal part of life. I grew up with school delays happening only when there were several inches on the ground. I know I should be more understanding.
What gets to me most is the panic that ensues when snow is predicted. The idea of snow sends everyone fishtailing.
We are no different in life. We fear the unknown. We worry about what might happen tomorrow. Oh, the energy that is wasted.
I have a weather app on my phone. I rarely use it. If I do, it is to confirm whether I should carry my rain jacket to work. (In Oregon, if it is a non-workday or after work, there is no question whether I am wearing shorts. I am.) Otherwise, if I want to know the weather, I look outside.
Predictions about the weather are rarely accurate. Predictions about what might happen to us tomorrow (or even later today) are even less faithful. “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34, NIV).
Take life a moment at a time—carpe momento. There is nothing we can do about the future other be our best today. Tomorrow will be what it will be. It may snow. It, more than likely, probably won’t. What good does it do to panic and cancel what good might come? Prepare, but don’t worry. Don’t put your life on hold because of what might happen. Live! And, if it snows, don’t be afraid to drive in it.