April showers are supposed to bring May flowers. Apparently, the good Lord has decided to alter the script this year. April showers have flowed into May showers, which are currently giving way to, you guessed it, June showers. The weather has continued to be overcast, drizzly, and more than a little dreary. It is a proven fact that the quality and character of the weather can have an impact on our emotional state. Seasonal depression is a common experience, albeit one we don’t usually associate with the start of the summer, but here we are. I can’t help but wonder if all of these overcast skies haven’t fostered more than a few downcast hearts.
On more than one occasion, I’ve wondered aloud whether the heaviness I felt in my heart was a side effect of the weather or a function of the season of life and current experiences.
It brings to mind a song by one of my favorite bands, Relient K. The song is called “High of 75.” Throughout the song, the singer questions the source of sadness he is feeling. He sings:
We were talking together
I said “What’s up with this weather?”
Don’t know whether or not
How sad I just got
Was on my own volition
Or if I’m just missin’ the sun
And tomorrow, I know
Will be rainy at best
And the forecast, I know
Is that I’ll be depressed
But I’ll wait outside
Hopin’ that I’ll catch sight of the sun
I’ve always found these lyrics both clever and relatable. The English nerd in me loves the interplay between the homophones weather and whether, and the connection between the weather outside and how that effects the forecast of how one might feel is spot on. On more than one occasion, I’ve wondered aloud whether the heaviness I felt in my heart was a side effect of the weather or a function of the season of life and current experiences. In fact, just this morning, I told my wife that I felt a deep sense of sadness in my heart and that I couldn’t determine the cause. It could be a function of the middle-aged malaise that has come upon me with full force. It could be the season of transition we’re experiencing with our children. Or, it could just be the incessant rain we’ve been experiencing here in southern Indiana. Whatever the case, the psalmist provides the solution.
Seasons of sadness will come in all of our lives. Whether that sadness is inspired by the weather or something more substantial, the struggle is real. But, so is our God and Savior.
In Psalm 42:5, the psalmist writes, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.” Seasons of sadness will come in all of our lives. Whether that sadness is inspired by the weather or something more substantial, the struggle is real. But, so is our God and Savior.
However downcast our hearts may become and whatever the reason, the forecast for those who put their hope in the Lord is a 100% chance of divine assistance through it all. God is always faithful (2 Thessalonians 3:3). His love will never fail (Psalm 136:1). He is an ever present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). He cares for the concerns of our hearts (1 Peter 5:7). He will rescue and sustain us, even in our old age (Isaiah 46:4). Whatever this season of life brings, put your hope in God! He brings sunshine and rain upon everyone, as Jesus noted in Matthew 5:45, and it’s always for our good.
