Summer...
From the desk of Holly Erwin...
Seasons change and the long awaited and anticipated season for many is here... SUMMER! I think most people would agree that summer and beach are synonymous! I know for me, that certainly was true when I was growing up in Virginia Beach, VA, where I spent countless days on the beach; the roar of the ocean will always echo in my mind. It’s pounding force as the waves crashed upon the shore and then rushed forward onto the warm sandy beach; sometimes it was gentle and other days fierce. On those days when it was fierce, its roar overpowered people’s conversations if they were too close to the water’s edge. It was loud and in charge and dominated everyone’s attention. It's been years since I’ve been to the beach and for me personally, summer is my least favorite season. I know, don’t judge me! :-) Now Summer is just a vehicle that gets me to my favorite season, the Fall! In the hot months, I long for the cool breezy days of October. I can’t wait to pull out my sweatshirts and snuggle under a blanket on our back deck with a good book and cup of hot chocolate. But alas, it is summer, and shorts and a tall glass of iced tea will have to do.
My word for this year is choose and, in this season, I am choosing not to just tolerate the summer to get to my beloved Fall. I am choosing to be intentional and discover what my Father desires to reveal to me. That’s not so hard right now, but as the temperatures climb and the humidity rises, I will want to retreat and dream about tomorrow. I will want to reach for a distraction and find an escape.
Life is like that too! When our stress intensifies, unforeseen hardships land on our doorstep, and/or the burdens we bear become increasingly heavier, our tendency is often to reach for a distraction. We want to escape but what we really need is our heavenly Father. We need to listen for the quiet, gentle whisper of His voice. We need to hear what His perspective is on the obstacles we are facing. All too often it seems we have conditioned our ears to listen for the roar of our circumstances and we unconsciously allow that to dictate our reactions and perceptions. Our soul and emotions have become acclimated to swimming in the riptide our lives can become. No matter how hard we try, our efforts get us nowhere and we don’t even realize how close to exhaustion we really are while struggling to swim against the current.
So, as you settle into this new season, plan your vacations, but also be intentional about planning some time for rest and margin as well. Take some time to listen for your Father’s voice in the midst of the roar of your own life’s circumstances. Ask Him what's on His heart for you. In Hebrews 13:5 He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. He’s always with us. He’s waiting for YOU and longs to spend time with YOU! You might think of Him as your “life ring”…always there to hold you up…to support you, and to ensure you make it safely back to the shore that is His Love…more vast than the sands of the great sea!
Seasons change and the long awaited and anticipated season for many is here... SUMMER! I think most people would agree that summer and beach are synonymous! I know for me, that certainly was true when I was growing up in Virginia Beach, VA, where I spent countless days on the beach; the roar of the ocean will always echo in my mind. It’s pounding force as the waves crashed upon the shore and then rushed forward onto the warm sandy beach; sometimes it was gentle and other days fierce. On those days when it was fierce, its roar overpowered people’s conversations if they were too close to the water’s edge. It was loud and in charge and dominated everyone’s attention. It's been years since I’ve been to the beach and for me personally, summer is my least favorite season. I know, don’t judge me! :-) Now Summer is just a vehicle that gets me to my favorite season, the Fall! In the hot months, I long for the cool breezy days of October. I can’t wait to pull out my sweatshirts and snuggle under a blanket on our back deck with a good book and cup of hot chocolate. But alas, it is summer, and shorts and a tall glass of iced tea will have to do.
My word for this year is choose and, in this season, I am choosing not to just tolerate the summer to get to my beloved Fall. I am choosing to be intentional and discover what my Father desires to reveal to me. That’s not so hard right now, but as the temperatures climb and the humidity rises, I will want to retreat and dream about tomorrow. I will want to reach for a distraction and find an escape.
Life is like that too! When our stress intensifies, unforeseen hardships land on our doorstep, and/or the burdens we bear become increasingly heavier, our tendency is often to reach for a distraction. We want to escape but what we really need is our heavenly Father. We need to listen for the quiet, gentle whisper of His voice. We need to hear what His perspective is on the obstacles we are facing. All too often it seems we have conditioned our ears to listen for the roar of our circumstances and we unconsciously allow that to dictate our reactions and perceptions. Our soul and emotions have become acclimated to swimming in the riptide our lives can become. No matter how hard we try, our efforts get us nowhere and we don’t even realize how close to exhaustion we really are while struggling to swim against the current.
So, as you settle into this new season, plan your vacations, but also be intentional about planning some time for rest and margin as well. Take some time to listen for your Father’s voice in the midst of the roar of your own life’s circumstances. Ask Him what's on His heart for you. In Hebrews 13:5 He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. He’s always with us. He’s waiting for YOU and longs to spend time with YOU! You might think of Him as your “life ring”…always there to hold you up…to support you, and to ensure you make it safely back to the shore that is His Love…more vast than the sands of the great sea!
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