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Take some summer R&R with Jesus

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A blessed summer to one and all! Hard to believe it is upon us already! Time flies, to be sure. So, what have you planned for this summer so far: a get-away, a family gathering, a camping trip, a weekend on the porch, a summer of King’s Island and Water Parks, a simple sit down and take a deep breath time, a time to clear out those overgrown or dead trees, time to try and finish those indoor/outdoor projects you been putting off for years…? Summer is upon us and it is time to relax, it is catch-up time, it is Bike-way time & Harley time, it is soothing time, it is …

Have you included Jesus time in the midst of your summer plans? Do you plan on taking Jesus with you to the beach? Will you relax with Jesus on your patio chair?

Will you include Jesus with you on the golf course? Have you taken Jesus with you on your get-away? Will you include Jesus with you in taking a deep breath? Do you plan on asking him to help you finish that house project you have put off forever – after all, he was a carpenter also?

It is not that we pass the job onto Jesus (although we often like to try and do that in regards many things in life). It is about including the Lord in all that we do – easier said than done, as much as we hate to admit that. A part of us often wants to “do” it all on our own, or let him or someone else “do” it. A part of us wants to just “git-r-done”. Yet, there is so much more to life than “periods at the end of the sentence”.

In the Gospel we shared this past weekend (Mark 4:26-34), we heard the proclamation of Jesus using the image of planting seeds on the land and allowing them to grow even though we may have no clue how it all happens. This passage also includes the image of the “mustard seed’ which proclaims that with the Lord there is always more than we ever expected that comes out of our efforts with the Lord – for even the smallest of seeds becomes the biggest of plants. Indeed, the Lord helps the seed grow in us and enables us with his help to achieve more than we ever expected, to be sure. But only if we let him.

How often we either just want to do it ourselves, no matter how long it takes us, or we want to dump it on Jesus and ask him to “take care of it”, so we can get back to our normal schedule, etc. Jesus does not offer to “take care of life” for us, but to “walk with us in life”. And that relates as much to sharing the hard work of life as much as sharing the “taking the deep breaths” of life.

It is summer – step back from the busyness, from the craziness of life and include the Lord in the everyday-ness of life. Take him to the beach with you. Take him to the mountains and woods, or out on the boat with you. And, don’t forget to include him in all that you do and don’t do this summer. It is time to remember that Jesus shares all of life with us and is more than willing not only to show us the way through the difficult “stuff” but to also lead us into the refreshment and relaxation times/places of life.

Sometimes we have enough trouble remembering that Jesus is with us in the works of life, in the crises of life, in the … Yet, know he also wishes to share with us in the vacations of life, in the “summer” of life. But, only if we let him. What a difference it makes if we allow a good friend to help us with work and getting through difficult times, or to come with us on vacation! What a difference it would make in our relationship with Jesus if we let him come with us on vacation as well. What a great way to deepen our relationship with him and let him walk with us.

A blessed summer to one and all! A blessed time of relaxation and refreshment for yourself, with friends and family, and, hopefully, with Jesus!