“Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.” – Mark Twain
Climate in Oklahoma is an odd thing. We expect it to be cold with occasional snow in winter. Thunderstorms in the spring. Blazing hot in summer. And crisp “sweater-weather” in the fall.
Only…it’s not. I’ve been paying more attention to the weather for a few years now, and our weather is changing. I just don’t think our climate expectations have caught up.
Art to the Rescue
To help me prove my point – if only to myself – I started a year-long project last January. I’d seen on social media where someone had started an afghan with each row’s color based on the high temp for the day. Since I don’t really crochet anymore, I decided to do a mixed media version.
And now? Drum roll, please…
I’m done. I’m finished. Everything’s in place. I don’t have to work on it anymore. I’m DONE!!!!!!!!!! Sorry. I got carried away there for a minute.
Anyway, I am finally finished. I got all the inchies for the year in place. I put the color key in the right margin,
a quick-locate month thing in the left margin,
seasonal trees at the bottom, 
and the Mark Twain quote at the top.
What did I learn about the climate?
- Making time for art everyday, even on a 1-inch square, is impossible for me. Life really got in the way. Yeah, okay. That had nothing to do with the climate, but it was a big thing for me to admit. I’m always drawn to the 1-a-day Challenges. And even the 1-a-week Challenges, too. Admittedly, I worked on the squares in batches.
- My expectations of the CLIMATE were shattered by the 2017 weather. January was unusually mild and green, even though the summer didn’t disappoint with it’s redder tones. Only a few 100 degree days.
We had very few really cold days. And while I can’t say my childhood memories of 110 degree days were fond, they were strong. And we didn’t have anything that warm at all last year. - Will Rogers was right: If you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma, just wait a minute. My favorite example all year was in February. In a 3-day span we went from 90s to snow.
What did God teach me throughout this process?
The primary things God taught me were:
- He is in control. We may think that we have things figured out. And we’d be wrong. Being a weatherman in Oklahoma must be really difficult. While there are some days when the temperature is fairly consistent, most of the time things jump around at random.
As I’m typing this, I’m thinking about today’s weather. Yesterday was 68. I listened to the weatherman this morning, and I dressed in layers with flannel to keep warm. With my jacket on, I headed out the door. I was bombarded with the muggy heat of the 50-something degree morning. And I wondered what the meteorologist was thinking.
Less than an hour later, an open door and an icy wind gust hit me. Another 2 hours, and I was scraping ice from my windshield. Welcome to Oklahoma.
But God knew all that was coming. He’s more reliable than any meteorologist and any computer model. We can count on Him. Always.
- God never changes. Despite the fleeting moments of Oklahoma weather, there is one constant: God. His love endures forever. He knew you in your mother’s womb, and He cares for you now.
Let Him paint you a beautiful weather moment today while He cultivates a relationship CLIMATE with you. Thanks for dropping by.
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