Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Just Checking In From What Feels Like Eternal Summer


"You will keep 
him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."   --- Isaiah 26:3


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Still here! But just barely.  ツ  

Oh, the humidity(!) and today we're due for our hottest day of the summer. Darn. The heat advisory folks said (pretty much), "Do nothing from 11:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. or you might die today." (Well, sorta.) 

Always I'm willing to comply with an order to rest on hot afternoons. 

So in the darkness of this morning, I watered outdoor plants and would've used a flashlight to find ripe tomatoes and peppers, but didn't. Then I shook out Daniel's little blanket over the front railing.

I came inside and vacuumed (wondering if I'd awaken the neighbors) then carried laundry down to the basement washing machine. And called it good, this beat the heat game.

Every summer I'm grateful that God is the God of the opposite world. You know, how when we are weak we are strong and the first shall be last and if we want to be great, we'll be servants.

And this, below. 


That's my life lately and you can color me thankful that God shows us ways to stay strong in Him and for this: summer may be rough on this 62-year-old body, but my spirit? As the old Chicago song says, it's feelin' stronger everyday.

Because of Him, His wisdom, His love. Whew.





“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”
― John Lubbock, The Use Of Life


Summer is a time for listening. Listening to the Holy Spirit. To good, solid biblical teaching. To God-inspired music. Summer's a perfect opportunity for pausing, for growing stronger on the inside while the (not always obedient to God) fleshly outside, hushes in its weakness.


And regarding summer? "This, too, shall pass."  ツ


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"Because we know the God of the opposite world, "we are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed ---"  (2 Corinthians 4:8,9)

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

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 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15

3 comments:

Sandi said...

"Every summer I'm grateful that God is the God of the opposite world. You know, how when we are weak we are strong and the first shall be last and if we want to be great, we'll be servants."

I LOVE this. 💜

Also, learn to rest, not quit. Yes!

Pam said...

It really has felt like an eternal summer. Everyone I talk to seems to be longing for fall. Always longing. That's the human condition. God made us that way. Sometimes I wonder, "Do we really have to struggle this much, God?" Yet I know He knows best. This has been an upside-down summer for us. Unexpected things happening. Much waiting, working, and sometimes, pain. I like what you said about summer being a time to listen, Debra. You're right. If I quiet down and listen, I will hear Him, and that will get me through every season.

Angela said...

Hi Deborah,
These are some music links I thought you might enjoy!
https://www.kimberlylottman.com/2021/08/my-favorite-autumn-playlists.html
Have a great weekend!