DE PONDERINGS
Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; hyrax are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces. Proverbs 30:24-28 (NIV)
Summer by the calendar is not quite here but we consider the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day as summertime. It's the time when we expect warmer temperatures and higher humidity, sunny days and outdoor activities. It's the time when we use the garden hose to supply a drink to thirsty plants and cool off hot, active children. It's the time when ants store up food giving them the distinction of being wise little creatures, at least according to Proverbs. Hmmm…there must be a lesson in the proverb about ants. Ah, yes, something about wisdom, being wise. Right, they store up food in the summer. So, if we store up food in the summer, we'll be wise. Right? Well…not necessarily. What makes the ant wise is knowing when to do something. We might conclude that there are seasons for doing certain things that are good and appropriate. In the summer, for ants, it is storing up food. What good and appropriate things can we do in the summer season that will display our wisdom? Gardening and storing up food would be good, but then not all of us are gardeners. We easily find the food we need at the grocery store anytime of the year. Well, then, how about this? Don't forget God in the summer. What? Well, with more daylight hours, more activities, vacations, and traveling, we can easily spend a great deal of time in these activities and fun things. We give them our energies and attention with little energy and attention left over for God. Should we give up all these summertime activities to focus more on God? No. God doesn't want us to be dull, boring, and disgruntled. Wisdom is not giving up what we do in the summer, but simply remembering to recognize and acknowledge God in the things we do. Instead of storing up food in the summer, try storing up images and experiences of God as you go about all your activities. You can see or experience God in the playfulness of children on a dusty ball diamond, in the grandeur of a scenic landscape, in the coolness of a swimming pool on a hot, humid day, in the lightning and thunder of a summer storm, in the rainbow following the storm, in the "Are we there yet?" questions from travel-weary children, in the kindness of persons helping an injured ball player, in the fellowship around a barbecue grill, in the…? Images and experiences of God are all around us during the summer. As we store up these images and experiences, we won't forget God. Sounds to me like a wise thing to do!
Summer by the calendar is not quite here but we consider the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day as summertime. It's the time when we expect warmer temperatures and higher humidity, sunny days and outdoor activities. It's the time when we use the garden hose to supply a drink to thirsty plants and cool off hot, active children. It's the time when ants store up food giving them the distinction of being wise little creatures, at least according to Proverbs. Hmmm…there must be a lesson in the proverb about ants. Ah, yes, something about wisdom, being wise. Right, they store up food in the summer. So, if we store up food in the summer, we'll be wise. Right? Well…not necessarily. What makes the ant wise is knowing when to do something. We might conclude that there are seasons for doing certain things that are good and appropriate. In the summer, for ants, it is storing up food. What good and appropriate things can we do in the summer season that will display our wisdom? Gardening and storing up food would be good, but then not all of us are gardeners. We easily find the food we need at the grocery store anytime of the year. Well, then, how about this? Don't forget God in the summer. What? Well, with more daylight hours, more activities, vacations, and traveling, we can easily spend a great deal of time in these activities and fun things. We give them our energies and attention with little energy and attention left over for God. Should we give up all these summertime activities to focus more on God? No. God doesn't want us to be dull, boring, and disgruntled. Wisdom is not giving up what we do in the summer, but simply remembering to recognize and acknowledge God in the things we do. Instead of storing up food in the summer, try storing up images and experiences of God as you go about all your activities. You can see or experience God in the playfulness of children on a dusty ball diamond, in the grandeur of a scenic landscape, in the coolness of a swimming pool on a hot, humid day, in the lightning and thunder of a summer storm, in the rainbow following the storm, in the "Are we there yet?" questions from travel-weary children, in the kindness of persons helping an injured ball player, in the fellowship around a barbecue grill, in the…? Images and experiences of God are all around us during the summer. As we store up these images and experiences, we won't forget God. Sounds to me like a wise thing to do!
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