'Tis the Season of Summer!
I looked at the calendar yesterday and came to a horrible realization: summer is nearly half over. You see, I have a very simplistic definition of summer. So simplistic that it probably makes the meteorologists cringe. To me, summer is June, July and August. It's more than just sun and warm temperatures. Summer is warmth and sunshine, but also rest, relaxation, and fun! That's why a 90 degree day in September doesn't make the mark of summer to me. I need a respite from school and the more rigid routine of the colder months. I also need to have a little fun and a taste of the long-standing traditions of summer. I don't know what happened to last month. Actually, I do know what happened to it, but in the midst of distraction after distraction, it passed so quickly that it was a blur.

I guess it wasn't completely devoid of "summer", though. We had our first Slurpees of the season. We ignored our school books. We had a picnic and went to the beach. We flew a kite. So we've had a touch of summer; I just yearn for a little more. I believe God wants us to have rest and fun and be filled with joy. Just as I want my children to have moments of rest from their work, so I believe that God also wants us to rest. In the Old Testament, God commanded the Israelites through Moses to have a Sabbath day of rest every week. This day of rest also included their animals and servants. Speaking of Jesus and His disciples, Mark writes in chapter six: "Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.' So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place." It's good to enjoy some rest. In the same way, just as I like to see my children anticipate and enjoy a special event, so I believe that God takes pleasure in seeing us, His children, enjoying ourselves. The Israelites celebrated many festivals every year. Yes, some of these involved confessing and mourning and remembering, but many also included times of great celebration. We read in Deuteronomy 16:14-15: "Be joyful at your Feast - you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the Feast to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete." Moreover Luke writes, "Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." (Acts 14:17)

Our God is a God of joy! The funny thing about all of this is that even though we desire rest and fun, and God wills it for us, we have to make ourselves rest sometimes. It seems like we get so preoccupied with everything that needs to be done in our lives that we either don't want to, or don't think about, rest. God commanded us to rest, so we need to trust Him for the work left undone during our times of leisure. God will provide for us in spite of our rest and our work! I'm so glad that God loves me so much that He wants me to rest and enjoys seeing me have fun! And so I won't let the remainder of my summer pass by in work and worry. I'm determined to enjoy some summer pleasure. And so now it's time for me to run. Soon the fireworks will begin! Just another taste of summer. Doesn't it sound like fun? By Cindy McDermott