God’s love is meteoric,
his loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic,
his verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness
nothing gets lost;
Not a man, not a mouse,
slips through the cracks. (Psalm 36: 5-6)
As summer begins, life keeps bumping into us. If I had it my way, summer would be exempt from problems, bumps, bruises or major life changes. No one would be grieving or hearing bad, sad or mad news. Summer to me would be a lot like heaven. No more tears or fears or worries.
But real life has it’s ups and downs, and sometimes life feels like an inside out, backwards shirt or a burnt upside down pineapple cake.
I would like to return to following my 30 Days of Lists prompts, but these next ones seem frivolous compared to the painful situations buffeting my heart. Watching and waiting with friends who are facing hard times. Watching my own heart spiral down, when I listen to the news or think about how life changes.
But somehow, even in the midst of the harder moments, thinking about happier times and “play” can lift my heart. I don’t need to spiral into a gloomy mood. I can rest my head on my Savior’s shoulder, so to speak. And He reminds me that He is actively absorbing all the pain of this world. And He’s not asking me to bear it alone.
Today, I spent time looking for colorful images to cheer up a friend who is facing cancer treatment. And I hesitated to add the word play. She might not feel like playing, but I know her heart longs for it. So I pray today that she embraces the joy of the Lord, even in the midst of this sidetracked summer.
I head back to the lists, so we can all dream of the adventures God may have in store for us whether we face rainy days or billowy, bright sunshiny days.
Road Trip Must Haves: healthy snacks, water, fruit, boiled eggs, road atlas and the GPS, loom knitting, books, music, comfy clothes, conversation, travel games. (Rest stop rule: Must be able to see the golden arches before we pull off highway for a pit stop.)
Recipes to Try: Here’s a link to Summery Recipes on my Pinterest boards.
A Quote about Summer:
What summer list of lists would be complete without some ideas for summer recreation: water-park, backyard bible club, water balloons, go-carts, cupcake bake-off, ride bikes, explore the woods, picnic in the park, library day, s’more frappe day, memorize Scripture, read a good book
And lastly, a little poem I penned called Today I Saw
peas dangling
ready to be plucked
from the vine
dancing in the breeze
against the chicken wire
fence
that keeps bunnies from
the cabbage, beans and
squash plants
a few weeds to pull-
cilantro gone to seed
herbs and vegetables
straining towards the
summer sunshine
after the spring rains
souldare 
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