I Think My Actions Changed The Weather

I sometimes wonder if our actions can actually change the weather. 

You see, right now we should probably have snow on the ground here in Kingston, but instead we have green grass … oh, and a touch of frost this morning. 

So far it’s been an interesting fall, with a lot of rain and more overcast days than I can could. … I was told that in October we only had three days of sun. 

Snow came early out west; there is lots of it in Ottawa … but we have none. 

I think it’s because I finally got winter tires. 

We got a new vehicle a couple of years ago and the tires were good, so I never purchased winter treads. 

But this year, my tires are a little more worn and, on a trip up north, they proved to be really bad in the snow. 

But since I got the new winter tires put on my SUV, there has been no need for them whatsoever. 

It’s like when you buy a new winter coat that you’re dying to wear. It’s impressive and you want to impress, but the temperatures stay high. You force the coat into action anyways even though it’s way too mild. You look like a fool and also learn that your new coat can act as a sauna as well as winter apparel. 

Can purchasing tires or a new winter coat really prevent the weather that is required to put them into action? 

I can’t say for sure, but it happens so often … as much as the weather man gets his predictions wrong. 

Now, I know I’m not the only one buying new tires, and there are people buying tires in snow-ridden places. I’m just saying that it’s uncanny how this works out for me. 

I know the snow is coming and really a major part of me is quite willing to delay the inevitable as much as possible. But I’d kind of like to know how these tires do in the snow. Will I be slipping and sliding around with them or will my vehicle be just as stable as if on dry asphalt?

It sure would be nice to be able to change the weather by my actions. It might be expensive, however. 

What else would I have to buy? 

Oh, I know! – a snowblower! I’ve wanted one of those for years, but my wife, Lily, keeps telling me we don’t need one. 

I can imagine if we got a snowblower in the next week that we wouldn’t see any white stuff on the driveway until after Christmas. 

I could also buy winter boots, and I could use some new winter gloves. 

I realize we are going to eventually get winter. I also don’t want to push winter into spring with a whole loft of purchases. That would not be good at all. 

… I’m not superstitious – really. I’m just making some observations about things that don’t happen when I prepare for them in some way. 

Here’s the thing:  Your actions can’t actually change the weather, but your actions can change someone. A smile, a word, a gift, an example can change a person’s day. Your consistent testimony can change a person’s destiny if they are drawn to the Father God by your actions. Be a light to others. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What would you like to change with your actions? Leave your comments below.

What’s With The Tire Conspiracy?

It’s pretty quiet in my house right now. It’s all calm and Christmassy. The Christmas lights are all on and the soft glow kind of makes the room all warm and peaceful. I know it’s not going to stay that way.

tires

Tomorrow we will be up at the crack of dawn, on our way to Toronto for the Silcock family Christmas. The weather is supposed to be freezing rain and I’m not looking forward to the drive.

I don’t normally mind driving in the snow but my tires are not giving me much traction these days. I think it’s a conspiracy of the tire companies. I remember the days of studded tires. They made your car sound like they had tap shoes on as they danced through the snow and ice.

Apparently, they were chewing up the roads so they outlawed them. Then, for the next 30 years or so, we just used all season radials. Note the words “all season” that mean, to me anyway, that these tires are good for driving on pavement in the summer and snow in the winter.

They seemed to work fine until a few years ago. Out of the blue, people started talking about winter tires again. Frankly, I didn’t know anyone who had winter tires since they took the little metal studs out of the “moto masters” back in the 70’s.

Now, for some reason (I think it’s the tire companies), there is a real push to get everyone to purchase winter tires. Notice I used the word “purchase” there. That’s four tires at $100 plus each!

Not a bad deal for the tire companies. They even made it a law in Quebec that you have to have winter tires on your vehicle there. The tire companies must have been rubbing their grubby little mitts together over that one.

My theory is they have changed the rubber compound in the all season tires so that they don’t work so well in cold weather. That’s why my car is slipping and sliding all over the place.

I kind of like it, mind you; it keeps driving fun. But if I didn’t drive a standard I would probably have had about five accidents by now. You touch the brakes and you lose control, so I keep my foot off the brake and just gear down.

It keeps you thinking, but it works well. However, there is this three hour trip to Toronto tomorrow. That’s a little bigger deal than just navigating the snowy streets of Kingston. There will be stretches where there’s no help close by.

In those three hours – even though we’re not near Calgary – the weather could change along the way and we could wind up in more trouble than we planned for.

And then there are the other drivers. That might be worse than the weather. I can understand weather, like rain and snow, it falls from the sky. But I rarely can understand some drivers out there. They have a weather pattern of their own.

Here’s the thing: We can get pretty comfortable with our ability to navigate through life. We learn to do things along the way and it all just adds to our confidence … in ourselves, that is. God wants us to depend on Him. He wants us to find our confidence in Him, not ourselves. So don’t take the God factor out of what you do. Put your confidence in Him and He will get you through.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you find uncertain in your life? Leave your comment below.