Spending a week near the Dutch coast might prove a problem for many but I have an edge. Usually the way that one acclimates to a location is by watching the local news, going for a walk, and anticipating the weather to come. What will the weather be like? How should I dress? How is this weather similar to or directly contrasting with what I normally experience at home? If one goes to a remote part of the world there are two problems that one faces in this regard. First, there may not be a local television station. Second, if there is a local station the language of the station may not be English.
Holland has plenty of local television stations. There is a small TV where I am staying. The one problem left is simple; my Dutch is terrible! In fact, I can only guess where the forecast is heading when I listen and watch the body movements. I have a general sense but timing, intensity, and variations are easily lost in my efforts to translate. Yet there is a solution.
One of the indicators for Dutch weather is what is happening in the country to their west or east. The source that one needs to look at is easy; which way is the wind blowing? Usually it comes from the west so the answer lies in English weather. What happens today in English will, often, happen tomorrow in Holland. All that one needs to do is to listen, anticipate, and act. The preparation is rarely in vain.
We have a second problem. For most of us, we have lost our language with God. We find ourselves wondering, fearful of the future, wondering about the present. Joel has insider knowledge which can make all the difference. Listen and be prepared.
“Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to God, your God. And here's why: God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot, this most patient God, extravagant in love, always ready to cancel catastrophe.” (Joel 2.13)
