Summer has arrived, stretching out her arms, and welcoming the weary schoolteacher, students and moms to take of her lemony libation and rest on chase lounge chair wearing oversized sun hats. Where paint, beads and clay clutter the kitchen table, and where art projects take on new skill and dimension, causing little fingers, show little eyes, that they can achieve art!
A gentle breeze run her fingers through our hair and cause us to exhale the winter’s chill and bask in the warmth of sun, and children running free from their schedules. This is the dream realized. This is the encouragement we give ourselves in winter’s bleak wet and snow – finally arrived and embraced.
This is a place of holy joy, where laundry is not as overwhelming, because, it is mostly beach towels, and bathing suits, hanging over the back of lawn chairs and railings to dry. This is summer.
Summer says, that Pound Cake for breakfast is nutrition, and swimming in the pool counts as a bath. It dictates that sandwiches, cold fried chicken and sweet watermelon eaten on decks of wood and brick, are fests fit for royalty; and, for this time, we are royalty!
We know this part of life is a treasure, because it is not always this way. Weary souls press through life, wanting to live life fully, and nothing seems to be able to break through the schedule to breath in joy. To live life as joy instead of schedule.
“I just want to be happy,” we tell our friends.
Do we realize that happiness depends on our happenings? If happiness is what we seek, then we will be forever Un-Happy.
But Joy! Joy Cometh!
It comes when we count it all joy.
Not all happiness, but all Joy.
Do you know that your life is a gift? Do you open your gift without joy? It was given to you the day you accepted Christ as your Savior. All your gifts that you desire, all the fruit you want to produce, was given to you.
Now – now you are opening the present. First we take off the bow, and perhaps wear it on our head and laugh with excitement of what is to come!
And in opening the present, you open the presence.
Then comes the wrapping all glittery with sparkles of gold!
But, the cardboard box. The brown and unimpressive, brown box.
As Christians we get to the brown box and think that is it – A boring Christian existence.
“That’s it?! That’s all there is? What gives God? This is not the gift I signed up for! I want more out of this Gift! I thought I was promised more!”
We don’t realize that we have not even gotten to the gift. We must push past the brown and plain, appreciating that it is the structure (the schedule) that keeps the gift together. We must put forth effort to open the lid and see the tissue of lime green and teal; and, play with the crinkle sound of colorful tissues begin moved around.
Then on to the bubble wrap! And who could not play with bubble wrap for a little while?
This life we live – with its times of sparkles, plain brown, and bubble wrap, and all was given at the time we met Christ. And we spend our whole lives opening the gift – layer after layer, each layer having a season of fun, rest, and thoughtful introspection, if we allow it, growing our faith and our likeness in Christ.
What season are you in today? Are you relaxed with any bubble wrap?
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Diane W. Bailey is the founder of The Consilium – an online community of wisdom and purpose for women over 45 years of age. She is a published author. Her books include String of Pearls – From Tears to Treasure, and 30 Days To A Better Stepfamily.
She creates her own line of precious metals bracelets.
Diane lives in the Deep South with her husband Doc. Together they have created a stepfamily, each having two stepchildren and two birth children, and share three grandchildren, one black lab named Charlie and one long haired tabby cat named Lil Girl.
Diane’s passion is to encourage women to be all God has created them to be by pressing past fear and daring to live life as an adventure. Some of her life adventures include traveling to Israel, speaking, entrepreneurship and backyard farming with Doc. She loves Gumbo, fried shrimp and seeing all sunsets across water.
Latest posts by Diane W. Bailey (see all)
- What God Can Do with A Shattered Heart - September 5, 2022
- When It Is Time to Bring Your Ship Ashore - January 2, 2018
- Art Of Hospitality – How to Love Others As Ourselves - November 27, 2017
I’m excited to have some bubble wrap time with you and Joseph!
whoohooo!