We’ve reached the time of year here on our island where there is a good possibility that it will rain on any given afternoon or evening. The (relatively) cooler air over the waters collide with the hotter air rising off of the mainland, and the clash in temperatures inevitably will set off thunderstorms and downpours somewhere in the region. While those typical summer patterns result in storms over the mainland, it isn’t uncommon for them to nudge their way eastward until they have drifted over the coastline and are bringing showers to our shores. What is possible on almost any day is ultimately inevitable over the course of the summer – we will get rain, but less than the mainland does.
When something like a downpour is possible, we may or may not decide to prepare for it. Preparations might include our choice of clothing, whether we bring an umbrella, or even changing the timing of excursions to avoid the most likely times for rain. Most of us know to try to schedule airline flights or outdoor activities for the morning, before the storms have a chance to spin up and potentially foul up our plans. But if the chances for rain are low enough, we might simply go about our day as if there will be no precipitation.
However, when storms become inevitable, we had better be prepared, because it is no longer a question of if something will happen, but when it arrives and how bad it will be. Living where we do, it is inevitable that storms will be strong enough at some point to knock out power, whether it is for hours, days, or even weeks. The challenge with the inevitable, though, is that it could happen tomorrow or it could happen in two decades. Once again, while allowing now for something to be certain, we have to determine how much planning we want to put into it. And for some, an inevitable event might arrive after they have already moved away, so that what was inevitable for the home that they lived in wasn’t inevitable for them as the occupants.
When something is inevitable, but the likelihood is that it will happen years or decades down the road, we inherently consider the possibilities before determining what actions to take, and what resources to allocate towards preparing for that inevitable event. Yet some things are truly inevitable, unescapable, and unpredictable in regards to timing. Things like death. All of us know someone who died when they were young, when death seemed impossible. Lives cut short either through accident, disease, or violence. It is only arrogance or sheer ignorance that allows us to consider tomorrow as something promised to us, because the history of humanity is filled with examples of people who thought they had their entire lives to live, only to be suddenly proven otherwise. And at that point it is too late to further prepare for the ultimate inevitability.
This isn’t meant as a scare tactic. It is simply a statement of fact – our bodies will fail and our demise is inevitable. This is the one thing that all of us need to have a plan for that, because tomorrow is promised to no one. And there is no better place to start your planning than church, so please come and join us at 10:00 am Sunday.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron