Thoughts for August

​Ah, welcome to the “lazy days of summer.” I wonder where that expression came from. When I look around, I don’t see people being lazy. No, instead I see many of us scurrying around, mowing lawns, planting and pruning gardens, organizing day trips to the beach, packing for vacations, attending baseball games, and completing necessary home repair while the weather cooperates. We rush and we hurry. We squeeze in a trip to the market. We get that paperwork filled out on the last day before the deadline, and maybe tidy up the house.
 
Lazy? Who are they kidding?
 
Well… I believe there is something important to the idea of lazing in the summer sun. Heat innately slows us down. So, what if that has a purpose?
 
Typically, I enjoy at least a handful of lake outings each summer. However, this year I am unable to go. I have to say, I miss it. On the lake, I read, I rest, and I relax. There are no distractions. I can’t see the pile of laundry and decide it needs to be washed. I can’t pay the bills or run errands. On the boat, not much other than the glowing sun can reach me.
 
I really like being out on that lake. I think it’s because I’m forced to slow down.
 
I have my husband to thank for my coming into this understanding. He literally taught me how to take a breather. For a person with high energy, always on the move, actively doing, it was an unexpected discovery. I remember that awakening, when I realized we could sit together at home and do nothing but enjoy a movie. Chilling on the couch was new to me! Yet, slowly I grew to appreciate those times, as well as days on the lake, where I unwittingly escaped life’s many chores.
 
What treasure did I uncover in this revelation? Why was this downtime so appealing?
I’ll tell you. For me, it was like recharging my internal batteries. Resting, in whatever way we prefer, is like adding wood to the fire of our spirits. Our flames are able to shine again, free from the circle of ashes attempting to smother our light. Resting renews, regrows, and revitalizes us!
 
Being lazy once in a while is not only healthy, but necessary to live full, happy, and productive lives. Let us not forget, even God rested on the seventh day. And if He is truly our mentor, there is reason for His example, and cause to appreciate it’s worth.

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​“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had created and made; and he rested. God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because in it he had rested.”
                                                                  - Genesis 2:1-3

Was He tired and weary from His efforts? More likely, He was pleased. Inspired by grace, perhaps He stood back to savor in satisfaction the fruits of His labor and what existed all around Him. And, that is my recommended goal for myself and anyone who needs to stop and appreciate small moments of just being: together, quiet, content—on our couch, at a favorite place, or amid nature. Following His example, let’s schedule those occasional breaks and take a few moments to refresh our minds, bodies and spirits.

     
Here’s to a bit of hanging out on a lounge chair, hammock or towel in the sun when we could be doing a hundred other things. As the rays of sunshine caress our skin, I hope we feel its message of warm love from above. 
 
Those duties and concerns can wait for just a few hours.
 

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