MOTHER NATURE

I have yet another beef. Yet one more irritation.

No. it's not about the brutal heat that seems to have a stranglehold on the world this Summer. When we were in Rome a few weeks ago, it was 103 degrees with the kind of humidity the Midwest bathes in. It didn't seem to stop our tour guide from having "her family" trek the Roman concrete for a 40-minute walk in bright sunshine just past midday.

No it's also not about a wall of humidity that slapped up, wrapped us up as our son, a friend of ours, and I walked the Cooperstown streets prior to the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Which in three hours showed us upstate New York variety from rain (the only time I've been cold for the past month), clouds, brilliant sunshine, more humidity, breezes, sprinkles, all without lightning.

What I'm referring to is the term Mother Nature. There is no such creature. There is no reason to give her credit, anymore than to cancel school because of inclement weather and call it an Act of God. That's redundant. Everything's an act of God.

Who spoke Creation into existence? And don't get me started with the Big Bang. If there was one, then God, the sovereign God, directed it. But don't leave Him out of the equation or you're really dealing with some astronomical happenstance that, well, just happened.

So the next time you refer to Mother Nature rather than God who is and will always be at the helm, just think that you've put your fingernails on my chalkboard.