Back to school time!

I Peter 1: 24-25 "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."

Good morning!  It's coming.  The end of summer.  The start of fall.  You can feel it in the air and you can see it in nature.  The grass isn't needing to be mowed each week.  The fruits on the vine are not as fruitful.  The flowers are giving it all they've got but...but seasons change.  The nights are not as bright and don't seem to linger like they did a month or so ago.

We can't fight change.  The kids have to start back to school and the leisurely summer days are dwindling down.  If we aren't careful and don't prepare ourselves, we will find a hectic pace awaits us as we battle the clock to get them to school on time, to get ourselves to work without battling the extra traffic, and we will find ourselves harried as we struggle to do more in shorter amounts of time.

Why do things have to change?  Why can't it just be summer forever?  Why does man get to mandate when the kids are to be educated and playtime is only for a couple of months in the year?  I guess it's so we will appreciate those vacations, those breaks, and those times of refreshment.  If, for example, kids went to school from January to October, then that means they'd have the winter off.  For many, that would mean more indoor time, less exploring outside, and fewer ways to entertain one's self.  The days are much shorter so the bodies wouldn't be so tightly wound as the natural order of rest affected us.  No crops are growing then so it would just be a great time to refresh and to rest, right?

Sigh.  There are many reasons that this idea wouldn't work.  And just because it might make sense to me does not imply that it is the best way to go anyways.

The grass withers.  It gets hot and dry because of the constant shining of the sun and the heat of the day upon it.  This causes the flowers to fade also.  Their brilliance is diminished as their roots begin to lose the vitality they had in the earlier days of spring.  All flesh is like grass and our glory is like that of the flowers. We come to the ends of our ropes and eventually we will just drift on off.  Our works and the things done in the flesh will burn up and what will remain?

The Word of God will.  The lessons we teach our children and friends will go on.  They will not be lessened nor return void.  They will endure.  They will last.  Their beauty will never fade.  

Too many of us, though, seem to throw in the towel too early.  When it gets hot, we quit trying.  When it gets dry, we don't seek refreshment from other sources, such as church and other ministries.  We hibernate in the fall and winter months and burrow in our comfy yet staid homes.  We exist but we don't live to the fullest.

Even though this blog today seems a bit depressing, I want to encourage you to consider that the coming months don't have to be ones of drudgery.  Just because more rules are in effect and are trying to mandate when we can relax and when we have to work doesn't mean that there can't still be joy, that there still can't be great times.  Seasons change and there are times appointed for all things under the sun.  Allow the coming months to be times of harvesting.  Our work is not done, friends.  There is still so much to do!  Don't fade and wither:  shine and stretch, stretch your arms out to our Father in glory, and let Him continue working in you to do His good pleasure.  I know He's still working on me.  Will You allow him to perfect you as well?

Let's pray!

Lord, I hope this had made some sense, for as I am writing it and reflecting upon it, it has me all confused.  I don't even have kids that go back to school nor a job to go to so the rat race that is about to ensue next week doesn't really affect me.

Ugh.  Do what You can with my words, Lord, and help them to encourage others to keep persevering for You, to keep teaching their children about You, and to keep serving You regardless of how much daylight there is.  As for me?  Well, You've got Your hands full trying to straighten me out!  But I'm willing, Lord, for You to work in me.  I'm waiting, Father, for Your call.  I'm here, God.  Do with me what You will so that I may be fruitful and shine for You is my prayer.  Amen.