The Dawning and Yawning of Summer

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die: …A time to love, and a time to hate: a time of war, and a time of peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2, 9 (KJV))

At last, Summer has begun; June is bustin’ out all over and the recent rains have everything looking about as fresh and green as you can hope for. There is a boatload of opportunities for outdoor activity and travels that I recall as only vague dreams of mine during the winter doldrums. This is exciting; these opportunities yawn before me like a smorgasbord at a free lunch and I get to pick and choose where I want to go and what I want to do (within financial and time constraints of course). It goes without saying that I try to stay as active as possible during the summer months, but coincidentally, I also have a tendency to let things go: That lackadaisical feeling of putting off ‘til tomorrow what could have been done today becomes very prevalent:

• “Ah, I can always stain the rest of the deck in the autumn”.
• “I don’t really have to balance the checkbook until September”.
• “Oh, I can visit Aunt Helen in the senior home when the weather gets a little cooler”.

And so it goes. I venture into the solstice rather blithely and some things get left by the wayside. Sometimes I let God go by the wayside: This may seem like an impossibility to you in that God is omnipresent and omnipotent but I assure you that the vacancy lies entirely in my own vacant mind. When I dwell on this, it dawns on me that, contrary to my normal predilections, summer is exactly the time to amplify my thoughts of God, not to diminish them:

• At what other time does God deserve more praise then when we observe his abundant natural beauty?
• At what other time should I beseech God’s guidance then when I am traveling to unfamiliar places?
• At what other time should I seek God’s protection then when I am cavorting in special or extraordinary activities (like zip-cording or sail-surfing)?

There are always ways for me to combat this negligence. I can’t use the typical lame excuses. There are plenty of places to attend a Christian church regardless of whether I am near Ewing, New Jersey or not. A little summer reading doesn’t have to preclude the Bible. And if I see a special speaking engagement by a prominent Christian author scheduled on a Thursday night in Ocean City, then I should get my butt over there and absorb some enlightenment. God is faithful and ever-present in our lives; I should be faithful and have Him ever-present in my thoughts.

I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Amen (Psalm 57: 9, 10)

Contributed by Donald
Monday June 24, 2013
Liturgical Year C: Week 30
Liturgical Color: Green
Sunday Gospel reading: Proper 7
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost