Summer

June 28th

SUMMER……………That means different things for you who live in India and for you who live in Scandinavia. I India it means a time of heat and monsoon-rain. It might not be a time one looks forward to. The rain is necessary, but the humidity and the heat can almost be intolerable. The fall is a wonderful time for vacation. The temperature is just right.

The summer months in Scandinavia are June, July and August. Finally we get some warmth and can use less clothes. Even this varies from different parts of the country. I just heard that they had to use fire in the oven in June. Just above 0 degrees.

I was recently in Bugaria where they say that summer is from May to October. The unemployment is great, but the summer gives many people work since they have lots of tourists at the sea. I do not know what the summer means at different places of the globe, but I do know that it varies a lot. Most countries have plans for vacations at one time or the other. In Norway most people have common vacation in the month of July.

What are you thinking about when you hear the word “summer”? I think about warmth, in any case that’s what I want to have. I think vacation. What are you going to do during your vacation? Some people travel to family and friends. Others travel to other countries and then there are those who cannot afford going anywhere. When I worked with Social Health Services, I helped single mothers to plan her vacation with her children without using too much money. I questioned what they liked to do individually and together. Besides that, there are many offers for children that are paid by voluntary organizations or the community.

I believe that it is important that the whole family talk together and discuss their summer-plans. Some children feel that the plans are made over their heads and they might resist the plans since they were not part of the planning.

Sometimes one builds up great expectations and there is no end to what will happen when the summer comes. These expectations do not always come to pass and the summer ends up with frustrations instead of one with joyous experiences.

I always recommend Christian families to pray for the summer. The children might also pray. Do think of the different needs depending on the different age-groups. Is it possible that the children might do something on their own and the adults something on their own? Then they might find some time when they can do something together. The vacation might be prepared the whole year by putting money aside every month, also the children.

I have heard people say: “When the vacation comes, I will do all the things that I cannot manage the rest of the year.” You are guaranteed that the summer will become a failure. The summer is a time when you do not have to do all the things you have to do the rest of the year. Vacation-time is a time when I put away the alarm clock and do not want to live by a schedule. One does not always have to be so effective and produce something all the time. It is not a waste of time to lay in green pasture and look at the blue sky or sit and look at the water. Maybe you can start to breathe and let the shoulders come down. Some people live such a stressed life that when the vacation comes, they get sick. They have not listened to the signals of the body earlier. I recommend you to change your lifestyle long before this happens. I do believe that quite a few people try to be loved through their activities. That is a pity since none of us can neither add nor subtract to God’ account of love.

What about Christian activities during the vacation?

We are not taking vacation from God. He lives in us and we have daily communion with Him. That is not depending on time nor place. You might even get a little extra time to be with Him during your time-off from work.

Some organizations arrange camps for both children and adults. These can be very beneficial for all age-groups. The camps can fill up the spiritual tank and give you experiences for life and new friends.

The summer is a time of loneliness for many sick people and those that have reached old age. Then the family leaves for vacation and they sit there without any visitors and maybe they cannot get outside the house. Those who are working, but do not have many friends, are also dreading the summer. They do not have close enough friends to travel with.

We Christians should ask God if we should take with us anybody on our vacation or if we should visit a neighbor. Maybe our children could earn a little money by cutting the grass for the neighbor who broke his leg…….. .

God is very creative. He must be since He created us. He can give you good ideas so that you can see and help others.

If you choose to travel a lot this summer, don’t travel too much at a time. Let everybody in the car get out of the car frequently and have interesting toys for the children while they are in a car, train or a plane. The traveling is also a part of the vacation. My daughters are grown-up to-day, but they still enjoy some ice-cream as part of the trip.

The summer is a time when you recharge the batteries and throw away those which are of no use anymore. This can be done in different ways depending on different needs and where you are in the world.

As a Christian I ask you to pray for protection daily. Pray for yourself and your family. Cover them with the Blood of Jesus. Pray for each individual. Pray for the car or the plane if you are going to fly. Pray for the captain and for your luggage. Pray when you enter a hotel and declare Jesus as Lord. Pray for the place or the country you arrive at. Bless the people you meet. You can testify about Jesus and what He has done for you. You can carry some Christian literature with you. We did that to Bulgaria and that was very well received. When we live in a close relationship with Jesus, this should not be very difficult. It should be very natural and give us joy and energy. When I give life to somebody else, I also give life to myself.

THE SUMMER IS A TIME WHEN LIFE SHOULD ENTER ALL AREAS OF YOUR BEING, THE SPIRIT, THE SOUL AND THE BODY. IT SHOULD BE A TIME OF BLESSING FOR YOU AND YOU TO OTHERS.

BLESSED SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mother Else