The weather for you or most people is the starting point of a conversation when you are not sure what to say. The weather is a go-to when your mind draws a blank when trying to think of something else to talk about. Talking about the weather is a safety net when the conversation seems to be ending and you want to talk longer. Have you found yourself on the receiving end, the giving end, or both when it comes to talking about the weather?
Now, what do you personally think of when you hear the word “weather“? Does your mind flash to a certain weather pattern in your mind? Do you go to your favorite kind of weather? Do you see in your mind the weather you hate the most? Do you flash back to the times of the year you like or dislike what the weather brings in that season?
One of the definitions of weather is the “state of the atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness“, Merriam-Webster dictionary.
Do you remember as a child how the weather made you happy or made you sad? You remember running to the window or to the door looking outside with the expectation of going to have fun? The times you were outside in the yard or on the playground and the weather changed driving you back in doors. I know you could easily cycle through memories concerning the weather.
Our memories of the weather were absorbed and gathered through our eyes seeing the sunshine or rain. Our skin felt the warmth of the heat or the wetness of the rain. We have the memories of sitting outside playing games or sitting somewhere under the sun. Some of us have memories of running and splashing puddles while the rain continuously refills the holes or dips.
We have seen the days when it was so hot the things under our feet would burn. Do you remember when you were so cold you could not feel your hands and mom wrapped them in a towel or something else to warm them? You rushed to the heater or the fire just to unthaw. The times you heard the wind blowing hard, the rain pelting so hard you thought the windows would break, and the thunder booming with the air being filled with a sound wave vibrating through the whole place.
INSIDE WEATHER
Do remember how the status of the weather and possibly still today as an adult made you feel happy or sad on the inside? The musical group called the Carpenters sang a song called, “Rainy Days And Mondays” and my mind always finishes the title with the next words of “…always gets me down“. A few words before that says, “…hanging around nothing to do but frown” “rainy days and Mondays always gets me down“.
For some of us the weather outside would slowly move inside of us causing an effect of a feeling associated with the type of weather we were observing. If it was raining outside I noticed a down feeling started to grow inside of me. If it was sunshine outside a content and freer feeling would be inside of me. A reaction would automatically start forming inside of me from what I was experiencing on the outside. This was fascinating to me because it was raining on the outside and I had no reason to be raining/crying on the inside.
The revealing and awakening thoughts started a process of questions inside of me. The weather on the outside is happening to the things on the earth, but inside of me is a closed and contained area that the outside weather cannot reach. Our bodies are like houses with entrances we can control on what enters. Yet, the weather on the outside was causing it to be rainy on the inside of my mind, heart, and soul.
The questions began with the “why” factor this is happening. I cannot control the sunshine, rain, winds, and storms on the outside, but I can make controlling decisions of what my thoughts and feelings focus on the inside. Ah, the light of understanding started to see the two different and separate environments. Why was I allowing the outside things to freely walk inside my mind and heart controlling the weather inside my spirit? Something did not make sense. I wanted to fix this. I wanted to start doing something about it, but what should I do?
You can start a practice of thoughts like I did to NOT allow the weather outside your body to control the weather inside your body. If the weather is dark and cloudy with rain you can combat the dreary feeling you are seeing with the power of God’s word like: Psalms 118:24 “This is the day which the Lord hath made: we will rejoice and be glad in it“. There is even a song that sings this scripture with a very easy to remember sound. God is in control and making all things to work together for the good to those who love Him (Ro. 8:28).
The beauty and saving grace in memorizing God’s scriptures is that you are arming your inside spirit against outside forces with the undefeatable force of God Himself, whether it is the elements or people. When you think and speak His Word you are invoking the power of God and this is what He said His own word, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” Is. 55:11. Stand one with God speaking His word about the kind of weather you want inside your head and heart while the outside weather and world has no power over you.
You can control the environment inside your body by practicing thinking on things that are good, things that are true, honest, just, pure, things that are lovely, good reports, things that are of virtue, and any praise (Phil. 4:8). It is not a form of denial of what is in the world outside of you, but a decision to have good weather inside of you to handle what is going on around you not allowing it in you. Would it not be fantastic to wake up in the morning start and controlling the weather of thoughts inside your mind?
God will supply the knowledge of good to you everyday if you ask Him and look for it. The things in the world will also supply you with the knowledge of evil and sometimes even force upon things you are unwilling to see. The weather inside your mind and heart are far more important than ever changing and never truly predictable weather on the outside in nature of people.
I never thought about my spirit inside my body as a daily weather conditions. Have you not woke up before feeling like you are in a fog? I have woke up feeling a dread of going to work like a dark and dreary morning with no sunshine. Can you find a morning in your memory you woke up feeling good like a clear sun rise over the horizon into nothing, but a solid blue sky?
Separating what you see and feel on the outside whether it is from people or the weather from what you want to have inside your mind, heart, and soul is a life changing adventure. You will be amazed on how much power you have over the type of weather inside your mind. Over the years people have asked, “how do you wake up always smiling?” The reply is as simple as making a choice inside yourself with an authority and will of force behind it for your state of mind for that day.
You are not a meteorologist watching the out of your control weather inside your body, but you are a child of God with the power to decide what weather shall be inside your own soul this day. You can stop the rain inside yourself just like Elijah was given the authority by God to physically stop the rain (1 Kings 17), but more so for you in Jesus name against emotions trying to steal your hope that you have beyond this world in Christ. If you are born again in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38) then you not only have the Word of God in you, but the power of God to command the weather conditions of your spirit. Really, really cool stuff to have inside your life and the journey of each day.
OUTSIDE WEATHER
Here are some fun thoughts to see when you are out and about with other people. Do you see a person who is like a gloomy day, a person whose personality strikes like lightning, a person who is nice to be around like sunshine, a person who is short with answers in a cold way, or someone who starts talking like a big bag of wind? Ha, ha, ha, yes you do.
After you become aware of the weather affecting peoples demeanor you start seeing peoples own weather patterns within themselves. You can start handling them and yourself just like you have prepared to handle the outside weather with a little preparation. An umbrella can cover and keep you dry from the rain and Lord can keep your heart comforted covering you with casting all your cares upon Him because He continually cares for you (1 Pe. 5:7).
One of the cool things about having a relationship with God, reading and memorizing His Word is that He shows you things you never considered before along with wonderful and cool understandings. I was one sided when I read: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth…” because I thought “…all truth…” was understandings about the Bible and God only, but I realized God meant “…ALL TRUTH…” including things about myself and others.
Remember, you are not a meteorologist watching the out of your control weather inside your body, but you are a child of God with God as your spiritual roommate possessing the power to decide what weather shall be inside your own fleshly house.
May you wake up everyday in fellowship with the Lord deciding the weather pattern you shall have no matter what comes your way.