Buckeye Chuck and Other False Prophets

Tomorrow’s Groundhog Day, an actual holiday here in the United States.

Even in elementary school when I served in the school play as Miss Frosty February introducing each of my “children,” infamous characters associated with the 2^nd month of the year, I didn’t quite understand exactly why we cared about a fickle, weather-sensitive rodent in Pennsylvania (or Ohio, where I’m from, where we relied not on Punxsutawney Phil, but Buckeye Chuck, yes indeed).

With bated breath and crossed fingers, we’d wait and watch for said groundhog to make his prediction, praying (to the groundhog god?) that spring would come early and winter would be over.

What a way to contemplate our future.

Seriously, did our daily lives change much based on Phil and/or Chuck’s prophecy? Did we buy more long underwear or start the bikini diet? What happened if the PA and OH rodents had opposing predictions?

Groundhog Day the movie is another take on this quirky holiday. Bill Murray’s character, Phil (not the groundhog), is caught in the same day, living it over and over and over. Depending on the day, that could either be miserable or fantastic. The bigger moral, though, rested on how Phil chose to live that day once he figured out what was going on.

What would you do? Take advantage of your foreknowledge to punish your enemies and benefit yourself, or learn the lesson fate is trying to teach?

I have two questions for you on this Groundhog’s Day. First, do you rely on furry forest creatures to determine your future? Second, does your past… or present… keep repeating itself and impeding your future?

Putting faith in anything or anyone aside from the One True God is just like trusting furry forest creatures with your future. God says that He has a plan for our future, one to prosper us and not to harm us. (Jer. 29:11)

In addition, we do not get the opportunity to live one day over and over. When we go to bed at night, that day is said and done. Any mistakes or slipups or sins are also said and done. Concentrating on them, letting them accumulate, dragging them along with us in the proverbial baggage, hinders God’s plan in our lives. Pining for the past is also useless. God wants us to live lives that are free and abundant (John 10:7-10) which we cannot do without the clean slate, His forgiveness, His redemption and covering, His righteousness.

So, do yourself a favor as you celebrate Groundhog’s Day this year – first, stop looking backward and start looking forward, and second, look forward on the basis of God’s reliable promises for your future.

We sang this song in church on Sunday, and it greatly encouraged me in this regard. Take a few minutes to be uplifted and empowered.

Thanks for visiting Dry Ground!

(photo by photobucket.com)