This is the last day of August and most of us are starting to think about fall. Technically, it’s not here for another three weeks or so but let’s face it, when you wake up and it’s 49 degrees outside, you can’t help but think about breaking out the sweaters. And in the morning, we will be celebrating Labor Day, traditionally thought of as the final hoorah of summer. Even the neighborhood pool will close for the summer after tomorrow!
We are in the midst of experiencing the phenomenon that we learned as small children many years ago. That is that there are several times during the year that we subconsciously know that things are about to change. Of course, we all know that we like to kick back during the holiday season, traditionally from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day. We are in the spirit of Christmas, shopping, celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of a new year. Then we have to buckle down and get back in the saddle again for the spring semester.
Our next chance to relax a little is in May or early June when school usually lets out and we are trained to think about the summer. You know, vacations, gone from school, long days of sunlight and as children, many of us even took the summers off from church. By this time in our lives, we have pretty much been conditioned to chill a little during the summer months.
But now we are definitely entering the another time of year when things change and a transition is in the wind. Summer is over, school is getting back in session, kids and grandkids are getting back in the groove of fall; we could even be dropping off students and moving them into college. Moms and Dads are trying to work out schedules for lessons and after school activities. Bible studies are starting up again and many churches are starting new series in the next week or two – choosing to finish the summer series that likely has been going on since May or early June. We are even waiting for the fall TV shows to start up again. Have you seen the commercials already?
Each family has different things to consider but you can rest assured that almost every family goes through these various times of year when transitions and changes in routine are very predictable; they have been ingrained in us since our early childhood. Oddly, we don’t think about these things actively. They are just woven into our DNA from our earliest memories. And that means that most of us continue these familiar patterns as we move through life – from childhood, to adulthood, status as grandparents and into our senior years. Sometimes, people have trouble even entering into retirement because they suffer guilt by not working at those times of year that they have come to expect they have to buckle down. It’s foreign for us to think that we can live like its summer vacation all year long. I am one of those folks who suffers from this!
But here we are – starting September in the morning. Most of us have already sent our children and/or grandchildren to start the fall semester in school. At church earlier today, there was a sign up for home groups and Bible studies that are starting the week after next. Some of us are figuring out how many weeks until Thanksgiving and try to determine how much we can accomplish this fall. That is, until we get a little rest over the holidays. Of course, then the cycle starts over again and we will begin the new year busy.
One of the issues with the patterns we follow is that most of us tend to over-commit our time into schedules that are almost impossible to maintain. So while we recognize the need for structure as we enter the fall, we must be careful to get adequate rest. Just this week, I have spoken with several people who are already reeling from the commitments of the fall and it is important to remember God created a period of rest for us each week. Please remember to maintain a workable schedule this season. Overbooking yourself can result in frustration, anxiety and even self doubt. Don’t wish your life away with so many things you have committed to that you can’t enjoy life in the meantime.
Our verse for tonight is from the Gospel. Jesus reminds us of our busyness and that we should turn to Him when we are weary and need rest. Jesus tells us, in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
My encouragement this evening is that Jesus is there beside us each step of the way to share our burdens and wants us to turn to Him and remember to enter into His rest. My prayer is that as things get so busy in the next several weeks, that we will trust in the Lord with all our heart and recognize our human limitation as we start one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…