A Summer of Great Expectations and Hard Realities

Happy first day of FALL!!

First, I hope and pray you had a magical and breathtaking summer filled with those perfect, movie worthy days of play, adventure, laughter and meaning all drenched in sun kissed beads of water from pools, sprinklers, lakes or oceans with a great soundtrack going in the background.

That would be amazing…  but not exactly how I would describe my summer (despite my highest hopes and greatest intentions).

If I can’t sleep, I sometimes play this game called “Would I relive this one?”.  If I had the chance to relive a day of my life at some point would this one make the list?

The one day that always comes to mind first is our 10-year vow renewal.  We were barefoot on the beach and all six of us were dressed in white.  We stood together in a jumbled giggly heap and read over our vows.  It was a beautiful day with sun, sand and lapping waves.  My husband and I intentionally stood together before the Lord for the first time (we had just started going to church months before) and promised our all to one another.  The girls were 6,3,3 and 1 year old.  It is a precious memory that I am so grateful for. 

Do you have a day that would make the list? 

The elements we deem “relive” worthy typically don’t come in days though, do they?  They come in the moments. 

Sometimes they are an obvious and choreographed moment, like in a wedding, other times they are born in spontaneity and dwell within the space of a breath or even a blink of an eye like a look he gave you or the feeling of her tiny hand in yours. Then there are even those times you didn’t catch in the present, but their significance comes alive in the rearview of your memory.

Even if my summer was more hectic and drama filled than I would have planned, I did manage to collect a handful of moments... 

• Riding with my oldest daughter on a water tube as my husband towed us behind the boat back to our cabin across the lake.
• Watching my three youngest daughters play tennis, work hard, grow, succeed and fail well.
• Many moments of witnessing one of my daughters love and be loved well in a God honoring, Jesus centered relationship.
• Laying on my daughter’s bed just connecting and laughing while the cat purred between us.
• Lunch with another daughter where it was just us and it brought me back to our epic cruise we just did in April. So fun and so special.
• Singing with my youngest daughter and watching her grow in and master her gift on the big stage.
• Sitting in the hammock overlooking the lake with my husband at sunset in northern Michigan
• Many moments of growing deeper friendships with laughs, hugs and conversations.

These are some beautiful moments that bubble to the surface for me.  But, the reality is that we also had some really tough and impossibly difficult moments this summer and those moments are obnoxious attention seekers that really love to take center stage. 

Danger, hurt and chaos are, unfortunately, always louder than peace.

We also have the ticking clock of another senior year looming for two of my girls this year and that is a reality that keeps on giving with every hill and valley.  If you have been through a senior year, you know.

I am trying to train myself to keep going to Philippians for those struggling and processing moments.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”.

I yearn to live in that peace that transcends all understanding.  It is what I find in those “re-live” moments I am so grateful for.   When I go to Him, His unwavering peace can guard my heart and mind because as much as I have tried, I know I cannot do that in my own human strength and will.

So, if you had a summer of peace and chaos, highs and lows, calm and hustle… I encourage you to follow these 5 Actions Steps this week!

1. Find a cozy spot and go through your summer’s greatest hit memories before they get tangled in the mental box of all the other summers.
2. Write down your re-live moments with all the details you can remember.
3. Be in gratitude for them and pray for your eyes to be intentional in looking for more.
4. Meditate on Philippians 4:6-7 with me and practice handing over the dramas and the traumas, as impossibly hard as it can seem. You will receive your peace even if just enough time to catch your breath. 
5. Let me know how I can pray for you!

Life is messy and I am right here in the mess with you.  Your great intentions, your moments of peace and the hard interruptions that twist you sideways all coexist, especially in this season especially.  But you got this.  You are stronger than you think and I look forward to another season of serving you with The 6570 Project.