Anticipation.

As I type this, everyone in my city is in anticipation of the snow storm that is currently hitting us. Snow is falling outside my window, and it's supposed to continue until the morning.

At school today all of the teachers were giving us the instructions on what would happen if we were off. They told us how deadlines would be affected and basically just what to expect should we be off school tomorrow.

Tonight I went to dinner with my family to celebrate my aunt's birthday. My little cousins were super excited about the prospect of having a snow day tomorrow, just like I was.

I told them all about the old snow superstitions we always talked about when I was in grade school. You know, wearing your pajamas backwards (or is it inside out?), sleeping at the wrong end of your bed, and putting unsharpened pencils on the windowsill. But my personal favorite? Our snow dance. One of my grade school teachers had a famous little snow dance that we did whenever there was a possibility of snow, so I taught it to my cousins at dinner.

The meteorologists have been tracking the storm and trying to figure out exactly what it's going to do. The city has been sending out salt trucks to try and minimize the accident risk for the morning commute.

All of these preparations in anticipation of the snow storm got me thinking how that is so similar to life too. It seems as though, at least for me anyway, that in the midst of a difficult "storm" in life I try to prepare as much as possible.

I get nervous and talk about the issue with my friends and family like my cousins and I did tonight. I try (sometimes silly and stupid) things to influence the situation so it goes my way. I analyze the situation just like the meteorologists. I start thinking ahead and try to minimize the damage I think this storm will cause before it even hits.

And sometimes, just like the meteorologists, I completely judge the situation wrong. I think it's going to be a lot worse than it actually is.

I spend all of my time thinking about and preparing for something that doesn't even wind up being a big deal when it does actually hit.

And this just got me thinking, and reminded me once again, that we don't hold the controller to our life. Our life isn't some big video game that we get to guide ourselves through. Instead, the controller is in God's hands.

I've been particularly worried about college, something that is looming in my very near future. I admit that I've been stressing about it, talking about it, and trying to minimize the risks I'm afraid it's going to cause, and I haven't even gone to college yet.

Who would have thought that the threat of a snow storm could have given me the reality check I so desperately needed at this point in my life?!

I really need to just let my worries go and trust that the controller is in the right hands.

So who knows if we'll actually get a snow day tomorrow (we do already have a 2 hour delay though!). But even if we don't, this snow storm has reminded me of something very important: Sometimes all the preparation in the world is still not necessary. The storm that seems to be looming ahead might be not as bad as you think.

"I will sing praise, I will lift my voice,

I will sing praise, I’ve made my choice.

I will sing praise in all I do.

I will sing praise to you.

No matter the storms that come my way,

No matter the trials I may face,

You promised that you would see me through.

So, I will trust in You."