As we approach the time of year when the weather changes are in full swing—colder, warmer, then colder again. We tend to think about what’s coming: winter. Some years in Michigan we get a little more “in between” fall weather than others. But us Michiganders have come to realize that we can’t get too used to the fall. The in between temperatures are short-lived. Our bodies and minds need to adjust quickly to the next season.

 Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the way, when you lie down and when you get up.” Changing weather is another great time to talk about faith as you go about new rhythms of a new season. Here’s some ideas that might help get your brain ready to talk!

• Changing Weather-The dropping temperatures remind us that the things in this world around us change all the time. Mother Nature often gets the blame for unwanted weather changes and the credit for the desired ones. But this might be the opportunity to correct yourself and what you say or your kids and talk about how Mother Nature isn’t really a person, she doesn’t control anything, and people talking about her as if she does is a slight toward our God who does. Talk about the Bible verses that say there are storehouses of snow (Job 38:22-30) and what those might be like, the ones that say God has treasuries of wind (Psalm 135:7) and how He might collect the wind in such a way, and how God gives rain to the earth (Job 5:10) and how He might decide when and where to do that. Wonder at our God who is over all of creation and all of the weather. And wonder at how confused people got that someone called Mother Nature could ever have more power over weather than our Mighty God.
• Wardrobe Changes-As we change out our shorts for sweaters, swimsuits for wool socks, and dig out the coats and snow boots we can talk about how much we have to change in our lives. We change our clothes every day, we change our minds, we have to change out our wardrobes to fit the weather. But one thing we can be assured of is that God’s nature, being and promises do not change (Malachi 3:6). Talk about what it means to be ever-changing people with a changeless God—what do you think/feel about that, how does it comfort you, etc.
• Anticipation-With the changing weather comes anticipation of things…we are excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas, we long for visits with grandparents and days off of school, we cannot wait for the thrill of the future: fill-in-the-blank. It seems we have more anticipation around this time of year for something. And as our families anticipate whatever it is they are looking forward to, we can point them to the thing that we as God’s children get to anticipate most—eternity with God. Sometimes the things in this world that we look forward to don’t work out, but we know that God has promised to bring us to the place he’s prepared for us with him because of what Christ has done for us on the cross. That’s something to anticipate.

I enjoy looking for opportunities to see how we might talk about and think about God throughout each day and each season. It’s the challenge and responsibility that God has placed on us. Let’s point to him together!