The Summer of Our Lives
Such fantastic plans I had for this summer. I had a pile of books I wanted to read to my children, topics such as our bodies, peer pressure, boys and dating, healthy eating, and the adventures of that dear fella—Winnie the Pooh. And then there were the camping trips filled with frogs and camp store licorice and ice cold lemon tea. And showing the children the delights of the garden—peonies and ants, lilies and slugs. Fantastic plans they were.
But what I had intended for discovery and learning and fun, what I had intended for good, turned into practicality and the busyness of survival: trips to the grocery store (oh, the joy!), treks to the laundry room (ooh, not so much), and trots to the bathroom (five-year-old boy plus one roll of toilet paper equals one clogged toilet, and one unhappy dad).
I suppose I could lament the lost time, the lost laughs, the lost experiences. I suppose I could say, “Forget it. Next summer will be ours!” But alas, I cannot regret the past, but can only move forward. A new day. A new opportunity.
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And you? Will you begrudge your past, relive it, torture yourself?
You are guilty, yes, but Jesus has paid the penalty. He’s paid the penalty for injustices and oversights, small and big. There is nothing His blood doesn’t cover.
So perhaps it’s about time you and I stop mourning our losses but embrace what we’ve been given. Can you believe He has left us anything, indeed?
Thank you, Jesus, that when my plans fail, yours will succeed. Thank you that in my imperfection, your perfection is made clear. Thank you that there is still time to tend the garden of our lives and to enjoy these short, much loved summers.