Summer time and the 'livin' is ....?
I love the summer and always imagine that THIS year the ‘livin’ really will be easy, and THIS year I’ll live at a totally different pace.Church activities slow down and I'm naively convinced that I'll become a new and different person as I focus on areas of discipline and productivity that I haven't had time for in the busyness of winter. And then, before I have really got a grip on things, September is here and the harvest of summer intentions fulfilled is pitifully small.
There are a couple of verses in Jeremiah 8, which come to
mind every year, haunting me with their wistfulness.
The
Message puts it this way.
‘The crops are in, the summer is
over, but for us nothing has changed. We’re still waiting to be rescued.
Do you battle with
procrastination, or try to juggle far too many plates? Perhaps you smile wryly at the thought of having more time in summer. Certainly if you have children at home for the long school holidays, summer can seem busier rather than more relaxing. But there is something about sunshine and a different routine that makes change seem a little more possible. The secret seems to be that if you identify where you want to see change, and make 'that main thing the main thing', without allowing yourself to be distracted by the guilt that can come from neglecting other things, a harvest is possible .
I'm not saying that this is easy. Our church is preparing to launch out into a number of
new community projects in the Autumn and as usual my mind threatens to run riot
as I think of all the things I could contribute too. But this is where I have to shout ‘STOP!’ , by approaching this summer in a different way realising.
1. I am
NOT Wonder Woman, nor do I need to be! Gordon is much more of a realist than me, and when I come up
with my cunning plans for squeezing my ‘gallons’ into a pint pot he points out
that there are only 168 hours in the week no matter what we do (and during a
third of those we should be sleeping!) So although I think I’ve come up with
all sorts of clever solutions, I’m actually just ‘moving the deckchairs on the
Titanic!
2. Bearing
this in mind, I’ve promised that I won’t say ‘Yes’ to
something just because it’s a good thing or even a great thing, because it may
leave me exhausted and unavailable to do the few things that God has truly
caused me to do.
3. Before
I commit to anything, I will ask God whether this is one of those exceptional things that He really wants me
to do. People who want you on their team, speak in a LOUD voice, often drowning
out His still small voice. So I may need to assume that unless He
smacks me in the side of the head and makes it clear, [as He has done on really
important matters in the past] He doesn’t want me to do it.
4. Less is more. I know that concentrating the sun's rays through a small piece of glass can start a forest fire, but I find 'making this 'one thing my one thing' is SO hard. Being blessed with a fertile brain and more ideas than I know what to do with, I hate to say ‘No’. But God has showed me that at the root of it all is the dread disease of ‘FOMO’ – Fear Of Missing Out. It is His desire for me to grow and change,and when I have listened to HIS plan, and truly put my summer in His hands, He won’t allow me to miss anything good that is part of His loving plan for my life.
4. Less is more. I know that concentrating the sun's rays through a small piece of glass can start a forest fire, but I find 'making this 'one thing my one thing' is SO hard. Being blessed with a fertile brain and more ideas than I know what to do with, I hate to say ‘No’. But God has showed me that at the root of it all is the dread disease of ‘FOMO’ – Fear Of Missing Out. It is His desire for me to grow and change,and when I have listened to HIS plan, and truly put my summer in His hands, He won’t allow me to miss anything good that is part of His loving plan for my life.
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What a great post. It made me think and I agree we need to slow down and put ourselves in God's hands
ReplyDeleteSounds like it's a good thing you live with a realist!! Mine's the same - I call it 'pouring cold water on all my plans' but in the end he's usually right.
ReplyDeleteI make this mistake every summer as the school holidays approach. A great reminder to listen to that still, small voice instead of charging around to no avail. Great post. Thank you Marion.
ReplyDeleteThat was very helpful. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLove this post Marion. I struggle with too many ideas and too little time too, but the rhythm of summer for me means less writing and more family time, with kids off from school. But even looking at the list of half-term goals we have is overwhelming - need to dial it back and rest in God...
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