While we shiver with cold here in São Paulo and throughout the South of the country, Europeans face the opposite: a heat so extreme that it has already claimed lives. Just today, in France, it was 43 degrees. It’s hard for us to imagine; even more so for those who are accustomed to the cold. I came across a curious interview: a Norwegian couple, on vacation in Paris, complained that it was unbearable – difficult to sleep, walk or even stay in the shade. I thought: one of the reasons to travel is precisely to seek something different, and yet some people complain.

This happens everywhere. In the North and Northeast, there is no intense cold, but rather extreme heat and periods of drought or heavy rainfall. In other words, regardless of our location, we always encounter changes. The Bible says that there is time for everything: heat and cold, laughter and crying. Jesus taught that God sends the sun and rain on the just and unjust – everyone has the same opportunities, but not everyone reacts the same way.

I recall that in California, the weather is so stable that they joke the weather report could be recorded in advance: always a minimum of 23 degrees, a maximum of 24 degrees. However, there are also earthquakes in the area, and everyone lives in fear of “the great earthquake” that will come one day. In other words, even the perfect weather has its tremors.

That’s life: there are pleasant and difficult phases, but they all pass. The cold of now in São Paulo will yield to spring; the unbearable heat, one day, will give way to cooler days. Meanwhile, we adapt: take the coat out of the closet, turn on the fan, drink more water. Complaining doesn’t solve anything.

If everything is going wrong…

Of course, this message is not about the weather, but about everything in life. Perhaps everything you put your hand to seems to be going wrong. Calm down. Breathe. Don’t go around kicking things, because it will go even more wrong. Don’t try to deal with the bad moments in your life by complaining, muttering, kicking or cursing.

No, my friend. Take a deep breath and ask yourself How can I make the best of this moment I’m living now? That’s the question you have to ask while you hold onto the hope that this will pass.

Because, if there is one thing in life that never changes, it is the fact that everything changes. Everything passes. Everything transforms. Great changes are usually born from hard falls. People who live at the peak today often decide to start over at the worst time.

So, if the sun is intense, be grateful and look for shade. If it rains, enjoy the water. Even if the ground is shaking or the sky is grey, remember: above all, there is a Father who cares, loves and promised never to abandon you. Heaven and earth will pass, but His words remain forever.

https://www.universal.org/renato-cardoso/post/43-graus-na-franca-o-que-isso-nos-ensina/