It did not snow here this past weekend. It seems to have snowed everywhere in the country East of the Rocky Mountains, but not in my little corner of Missouri. Folks in Boston and surrounding areas are completely buried in snow. The farmers around us are bemoaning the lack of moisture, while everyone else is just celebrating being able to get around on the streets. And whether we live in the too much area or the not enough area, many folks are looking to heaven and crying, "why me?"
But according to Matthew's Gospel the amount of rain/snow that we are or are not getting has nothing to do with our righteousness, or with how much God loves us. The weather is what the weather is, and it is up to us to deal with it and the help one another through it. It may not always be exactly as we would wish, but history and faith tell us that we will survive and move on.
God of the snow, rain, wind, and sunshine, we give you thanks that you are with us as we traverse the challenges in our lives. Today we lift to you those who are struggling with too much snow, too much cold, too much ice, too much wind. But we also lift those who have not had enough moisture, and will find the summer to be particularly difficult. Grant us the grace to turn to you not just in our needs, but every day............