It’s already the middle of June and
the Fourth of July (and General Convention) is only a few weeks away. Summer is
flying by and it hasn’t even started yet. What ever happened to the lazy, hazy,
crazy days of summer, when everything shut down, everyone went away, nobody
scheduled meetings, and you had time to get to long neglected projects?
Every year I have wildly unrealistic
expectations of what I want to do – house and garden projects, getting together
with friends, picnics and barbecues, day trips, going to the beach, relaxing,
and just staring into space. Ironically, in my frenzy of planning I unwittingly
limit the possibilities for summer, by not leaving room for spontaneity.
And before I know it, it’s Labor Day, I’m still exhausted, and all of my
planning seems to have been for naught because I could never have gotten
everything done anyhow.
Why do I get myself into this annual cycle of making plans I
can never keep? When did summer become just another hectic time of year instead
of a time of rest and refreshment? Am I the only one with this problem, or is
this a wider phenomenon?
I know I have to slow down and let
summer happen – come what may. Rather than try to control it, measure it, or
shape it to meet my own needs, I need to relax, unwind and be open to the
wonder of the season.
Which brings me to how summer is a
lot like stewardship. We often do everything we can to narrowly define and
limit our roles and responsibilities as stewards of God’s creation. After all,
we can only do so much with what we have and what we are given. And like
summer, isn’t stewardship season really only three short months?
Why do we put ourselves in boxes
when it comes to summer and stewardship? Instead, we need to let God take
control of our lives and help us become the faithful and generous people we are
called to be – without boundaries, limits or reservations.
Like the seasons of the church year,
the seasons of the calendar year provide unique opportunities to focus our
energies on new ways of looking at our lives and new ways of doing things.
Instead of being a quick and rushed three months, summer should be a time of
abundance of daylight, sunshine, heat, humidity, and zucchini from the garden.
We need to recognize, embrace, and celebrate that abundance. Then, just like
other times in the year, we need to let go and continue our faithful journeys.
A bountiful summer to all!
TENS 2012
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