When springtime comes to Newfoundland and Labrador, we are never sure what to expect. The weather is certainly very unpredictable, and one day it could be sunny and delightfully warm while the next day could be snow flurries with bone chilling northerly winds. The fog could roll in on May 1st, and could stay until July! Most people can agree that the worst part of living in our glorious province is the weather.
In 2018, a friend of mine visited, for the first time, from England. Her plan was to continue on from St. John’s to Ontario where she was staying in one of the national parks for a three week camping trip. Her trip happened near the end of May and into most of June, so I advised her to prepare mostly for the camping portion of her trip as I could provide her with anything she would need for the weather here. I was hoping the weather would cooperate and it would be relatively temperate while she was visiting. However, “good” weather was too much to hope for and the highest the temperature reached was 10 degrees Celsius! It rained cats and dogs—all the animals really—during her vacation, and the north winds gusted to 80kms for the entire week she was here! I had to break out the mitts and scarfs and winter coats for every excursion that we attempted.
I was so disappointed, thinking that the weather had ruined her trip, but she told me that the weather added to the mystique of our rugged province, and she admired the tenacity of those she met who had smiles on their faces in spite of the miserable weather. Despite the rain falling sideways, something she had never seen before, she loved her visit to our province, and was amazed by our culture and very friendly citizens. While I focused on what was going wrong with the trip, she coped with the weather and enjoyed the uniqueness of our province.
Looking back on my friend’s trip, I realized that my perspective on her trip was tainted by my desires for everything to be perfect when she was here. Yet logically, nothing is ever perfect in our world. Our world is complicated and inundated with all the things that are wrong—things that we focus on which torment us and make us feel terrible.
In my life, only one thing is perfect. My relationship with Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, is the one thing which always makes me feel good! Jesus never disappoints me. God never lets me down. The Holy Spirit is always with me! I am in no way, shape, or form in any way close to perfect, but my faith and belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit gives me the strength to accept disappointment, no matter how small, and continue to look forward to a greater future in the life hereafter. Despite my many failings, God is always there for me even when my expectations are too high and I disappoint others and myself!
