Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president

Are you a fair-weather walker? I admit that I think that I am.

What is a fair-weather walker? I have a daily habit of walking at least 2 miles or more each day. I am a creature of habit and so I walk this route close to home that has a rather steep hill that must be climbed each time I walk. Recently it started to rain as I was walking. That is when I realized that I may be a fair-weather walker.

I know there are all sort of romantic notions about walking and singing in the rain. Forget all of that. I don’t like to walk in the rain. Kinda hard when many of days in the Pacific Northwest better known as the Pacific North Wet.

So are you a fair weather walker as well?

Now I must tell you that I still haven’t missed a day of walking even most days when it is rainy, wet and cold. I do occasionally go to the mall and walk when I just can’t handle it anymore.

I have noticed something though: Walking in the rain changes things.

You are careful about slipping on rocks, you watch your footing more, and you are better dressed and prepared for the challenges that come when walking in the rain.

I am afraid that at times people can become fair-weather Christians. It is easy to praise God when things are going well. Yet when it is tough, and the rain is falling, it is easy to question God. Yet when things are tough, we end up learning and growing in ways that we may never have grown when life was good.

Our world has certainly been rocked recently. We have pandemics, mandates, polities, vaccines and all manner of things that we constantly hear about – plus all the associated opinions. And yes, it has been challenging. At times it seems like it would just be nice to crawl in bed under the covers and wish that it would all go away. That would be a fair-weather walker in life. Just as gold is refined in fire, so we too can be refined by the fire and rain of the Holy Spirit.

So as we go walking in this world that we face daily, remember the text in I Thessalonians 5:16-19 –