Summer holds so many of my favorite things, many of them in the feminine venue I so dearly love. Sundresses, flip-flops, long-curly hair in the breeze, walks with the hubby at dusk, reading on the porch swing, and of course the romantic setting of the beach. Summer is the season of my heart where the warm sunshine magnifies everything near and dear to me. These three short months of summer are more than worth those long, cold winter months that seem to stand time still. At least that's my flip-flop perspective--patiently waiting for the boots to be packed away again. :)
But as is true with other areas in life, we can easily overbook ourselves, and before we know it summer is long gone. So many activities, so little summer. Even with a calendar free of school obligations, sports seasons are finishing up, recitals have been performed, and all of summer stretches ahead of us, our have-to-do-this-summer lists quickly fill in the white spaces on our once blank summer calendar. And so the perpetual summer saga continues....how much fun can we cram into these summer months of "freedom"?
With the catalyst being a little less "green" in our summer, we found this summer to be very different than those in the past. Money would not be the color of our summer, but rather the bright hues of yellow sunshine would fill our summer with something much more valuable. Less GO and more REST. Our family found the hidden paradise of summer--time to rest. We did not become burdened with vacationing ourselves into exhaustion. God's gift of rest was no longer just His design for Sundays; rest became His gift to us this summer.
The lazy days of summer meant so much more to us this year. Days that began with sleeping-in and ended with campfires and s'mores. The laughter of children running through the yard playing "Capture the Flag". Friends joining us for lunch, swimming, and good old fashioned girlfriend time. Dollar movies at the theaters. Quiet Bible study time to listen to God speak to those weak areas of my heart. The stillness of the house as the children enjoyed reading books and the lost art of color-by-numbers. Siblings discovering how nice each other's company could be (not to say bickering and arguing were absent). Picnics, parks, bike rides, and playdates. No routines, just relaxing. Yes, the lazy days of summer became "golden" as we took out the "green". The treasure of staying home replaced the draining race of vacationing. Through the solar power of summer, our batteries have been recharged.
This week of Back-to-School officially ends our season of summer. However, I can see even more clearly just how rested we all are. The children are excited to jump back into structure; they are even bordering on boredom for the first time in months. They can't wait to reunite with friends and begin another school year of learning. I am excited to dive back in to Community Bible Study, serving in a new role the Lord has asked me to trust Him with. Willie is refreshed for his fall season of business as he gears up with new customers. While early morning routines are going to be tough around here for a few weeks, the rest we each found this summer will make our transition into fall much smoother. We are not juggling last minute preparations and expecting the alarm clock to rudely signal the next season prematurely. We are rested. We are ready. We are refreshed. The golden sunshine in our summer was God's gift of rest.
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