The End of Summer

   As summer comes to an end I find myself rushing to do the things I was sure I wold get to during the slower days of June and July. I intended to clean out all of the old clothes and shoes I don't need anymore. I was sure I would bake cookies and can tomatoes. I resolved to finally straighten up the old planters and trowels that have accumulated on the side of the house. Somehow the summer slipped away, the clothes are still crammed in the closets, we are without cookies or canned tomatoes, the side of the house is still as cluttered as it was last summer. Other good things were accomplished during the summer, but many small and tedious chores were left for another time.
   The well intended yet unfullfilled goals of summer echo the well intended yet unfiulfilled goals of many relationships. It is easy to intend to listen to our spouse without interrupting, to spend more individual time with the children, to call our brothers and sisters just to check in. It is very difficult to carve out the time from our schedules and to break into our routines in order to accomplish our goals.
   Just as summer ticks by so do the years. As my own children turn into adults I am moved by a new urgency to disrupt my set schedule to find the time to be with them. In years to come I may mildly regret the mess in the side yard, but I will look back at this summer and not regret laughing over a long lunch with my family or watching movies with a big bowl of popcorn between us. God has blessed us with relationships and families. Those relationships deserve our time and energy more than any overstuffed sock drawer. Let summer chores slip away the only important part of the chore chart is to love and nurture our relationships.

Say Yes

     Women's magazines are full of advise about learning to say, "no." The gist of it is that women over commit themselves and as a result are overwhelmed with responsibilities and have no time for the things that are important in life. This is often true. Certainly no one should sit on committees, serve on boards and volunteer for worthy causes just because they are asked and to the deteriment of themselves or their relationships. There is an exception I see to this stern warning of too many yes's and that is when given the opportunity to break out of a rut.

     Too often we reflexively say, "no" to activities that are out of the normal run of things. When presented with an offer to do or see or experience something that is novel and without a guarantee of the outcome, the knee jerk reaction is to say, "no" or ,"No of course not" or "No I don't do that, or haven't done that or have never considered doing that." Just because we have never done something doesn't mean we can't give it a try.

     Jesus asked his disciples to do all sorts of things they had never done before. Leave their families and follow him being a starting point, followed by healing the sick, dining with the outcasts, walking on water, among others. Jesus expects us to say, "Yes." Yes to serving in a way we have never served before, yes to praying when it feels awkward, yes to going places we have never gone.

     As parents, a simple way to practice saying yes is to say yes to our children when they want us to try something new or different with them. Yes to joining them in a camp out on the living room floor. Yes to playing pretend restaurant at dinner instead of watching TV. Yes to building a sheet fort in the dinning room. (Here are some fort ideas.)Yes to making some messy concoction in the kitchen.(I recommend homemade gak. Here is the recipe.)

     Staying in our routines is safe and comfortable, but limiting. Experiences that are different open our minds and souls to new possibilities. They foster growth and renewal. Some of these adventures will be failures, some will be a great new success and most will be a combination of the two.

     Have a summer of "Yes" adventures.

God's peace be with you,
Michelle