Summer Draws to an End
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. Genesis 8:22
This summer is all but over. The children are going shopping for clothes, shoes, and items on the school lists. Perhaps a new thermos, lunch box and new backpack are in order for the first day. There is an undercurrent of excitement mixed with anxiety as the first day approaches.
Teachers are putting rooms together, dragging boxes from their basement and wheeling them into their classroom. They are also faced with the same emotions. I know because I was both at one time or another.
The August or September sky tells me the time for the school busses is rapidly coming near. The clouds seem to have more form. The days are a tad shorter. The evenings are slightly cooler. All the ads are consumed with fall apparel and “must-haves”.
So, what happened during the summer? What is so melancholy about the ending of this season? Certainly, it is not saying good-bye to the hot humid days without rain! Even the summer flowers look worn out and tired. Parents and grandparents might be counting down the moments until the bus door closes and the wheels start turning. Of course, that is a quiet, internal celebration, right? Returning to a schedule can feel good. But it also runs the risk of loneliness and loss. Whether your child went to kindergarten or college, it creates a void that nothing can fill.
Weeks have been spent as a family unit doing things together, seeing new sights, traveling and just being close. Of course, there have been wild, crazy moments and some heated words that everyone wants to forget. But there have been more good memories than bad. You have pictures to prove it.
Autumn seems to snatch that closeness away. It means more traffic, more effort to get everyone where they need to be, more coffee, and definitely more need of quiet time. During this season, make the effort to meet with Jesus early in the day before the hustle and bustle begins. The good news is this: Seasons change but God’s love remains.
Father God, thank You for all seasons. Help us to enjoy our memories of family fun and to welcome new opportunities. AMEN.