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Just Wait till Summertime


 Well, summer vacation has arrived. I am more than reasonably certain; no, instead, I am very confident in saying that I am not the only one with a to-do list a mile-long of things neglected throughout the school year. Teachers,  make it through the year, telling ourselves summertime will give us time to restore order, as we thrive amid the chaos created by forgetting picture day, finding the milk jug empty in the fridge, or failing to set the alarm that sends us down the hallway stepping on leftover Legos or tripping over roller blades that were not there the night before. All of which screams, "I need order."

Around Christmas time, I have come to terms with the fact that I have stacks of papers to file, picture frames collecting dust, and pencils, now reduced to nubs with no erasers visible. I know I have lowered my standards when I measure a good day by being able to find a shirt without a marker or finger paint stain that matches my pants and make it out the door without forgetting the lunch that will most likely be eaten by swallowing it whole. But, to say there is no order? That is not exactly true. It just looks different from the beginning of a bright and shiny new school year. So, I recreate the order. By now, I walk on the other side of the hallway, throwing a sweater over a stained blouse knowing it was worth it just to see the excitement on his face in creating a painted masterpiece that somehow made it to my sweater as well. I toss the empty milk jug and have an adventure, including milk from the donut shop along with donuts. I quit worrying about perfection that nobody sees and redirect my attention to things that do matter, and I like this far better. I have to admit that sometimes "just wait till summer crosses my mind, but more often than not, I take advantage of its findings in beautiful sunrises and sunsets, picnics and movies, and long walks. It's not exactly the order planned for sometimes. Nevertheless, it was well thought through as the order I truly need, 

In Genesis Chapters 1 and 2, we can be encouraged that our cravings for order were and still are a priority for our Father, God. Just a glance at the creation confirms that He places a priority on order. God was very deliberate in the creation of the world through a progression that would meet our needs—initially eliminating the darkness and creating light. He added land to walk upon and sky above us to house an atmosphere much needed to thrive in this new creation. How well God knows us! He knew we needed some help keeping our priorities straight, so he gave us the timekeepers, known as day and night, for just the right amount of light to guide our comings and goings. He filled the earth with creatures, great and small, needed to balance the world. After creating things required for our existence, God made us stewards of it all. 

I think God also thought about summer. Maybe He even saw Eve's mega-to-do list. So, He created a special day just for rest. Truly, God thought of everything when he made the world and fashioned it perfectly to meet our every need.  

Summer has arrived, and I'm off to work on a messy closet, a disorganized shelf, and a mound of laundry... or maybe I'll just go to the donut shop.

"And God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good..."

Genesis 1:31 NASB

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