Shalom Talk

On Sunday, November 13, our guest was Dallas Raines, award-winning weatherman and media personality. Georgia born, now living in the los Angeles area, Dallas has been with KABC since 1984.  In our interview time, it soon became apparent that Dallas not only analyzes the weather and predicts what is coming up soon, he also creates some weather of his own.

What do I mean?

Dallas self-identifies as a religious believer and as a positive person.  In recounting his journey to his current fame and fortune, he told of times when he went out and created opportunities for himself.  Fascinated by weather patterns ever since  being in the fourth grade, when he was fifteen he went to the local radio station in his small Georgia town, Thomaston, which describes itself on the web even today as "only an hour drive from large cities, (yet) a whole world away. Thomaston, Georgia's charm is in the fact that it is quite ordinary."  He asked the station owner/manager if he could just read the weather over the air. The manager not only let him do that, but also had him spinning records and reading news. Thus began Dallas' broadcasting career.

Later, when he graduated from Florida State University in Meteorolgy, the next day he drove to Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was waiting in the doorway of a station there when they opened, and asked for a job doing ANYTHING, 

Here again, Dallas was making his own weather.  Instead of waiting for the world to beat a path to his door, he went out and knocked on doors, confident that it is not so much opportunity that knocks, as that opportunity opens to the one who goes a-knocking!

Dallas attributes his positive outlook to his upbringing and also to his faith.  He believes in a benevolent God who delights to open the way for those whose heart is seeking to serve and to count for something.   Obviously, positive actions and mindsets cannot thrive in people who view life as a hostile environment.

So the lesson for all of us today is just this: to go out and make our own "weather."  In the words of the Yeshua the Messiah, in Matthew 7, to ask (and keep on asking). to seek (and keep on seeking), and to knock (and keep on knocking), because every one who asks recevies (sooner or later), and he/she who seeks finds, and to him/her who knocks the door will be opened.

That's the way it will be for us in dealings with people, and in dealings with God, because, as Yeshua says, "if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give to those who ask him?"

Now, go out and make some good weather for yourself!