The Stress of Summer

Most of us love summers, especially if we live in a colder climate for most of the rest of the year.  For me, I can’t wait for summer just to be able to be outside and bask in the warmth and the heat of the sunshine and read a favorite magazine.  That’s the dream.  But the reality is that summer is one of the busiest times of the year for me, and sometimes I find it stressful.  I have about six weeks, maybe eight, to do everything and I always try my hardest to pack everything into these short six or eight weeks.  This includes taking care of the spacious yard and exterior of our house at the resort town where we spend most of the summer.  This is also the time I try to sell my creative wares (that I’ve designed during the fall, winter and spring) at a local farmers market every Saturday. We try to get together with friends as much as possible, and this means food preparation and clean-up.  Then there’s the above-ground pool care, deck care, and pet care.  Every day I try to go for a good brisk walk, and sometimes a bike ride. 

Most weddings are in the summer, so there is the stress of either planning the wedding, or giving up a weekend or weekends to attend them. Some summers there are more weddings than other summers, so this can take up a lot of precious Saturdays. And of course summer is when most people plan their vacations, so there’s the stress of packing, closing up your house, stopping the paper and mail, paying your bills, finding a sitter for your pet, and also deciding where to go, etc.  And it always seems that this is the time where we are financially stretched.  You may find this especially true if you own a home and you have to fork out money for repairs you didn’t plan on.  Maybe you need a new lawn mower or you need to paint your house; perhaps you need some landscaping, and you can’t forget your flower beds or garden!  Perhaps something major has broken down, like the year our well quit working, and cost us $7,000.  And when you go on vacation, you usually have your vehicle checked out to make sure it’s in tip-top shape before venturing out.  And if you are camping, you have another whole set of issues to deal with.  You have to remember to pack a little bit of everything, from salt and pepper for your potato salad and steak, to tea towels and clothes pins to hang them with.  Then you must pray for good weather!

You also want to make sure that you attend as many music festivals, markets, exhibitions, plays and other outdoor attractions and venues, especially if you live in the city. And if you have children, you need to keep them happily occupied for the full two months they have off from school.  No wonder the summer flies by so fast.

And then there’s the weather, which this year, has been as unpredictable as ever.  We had rapid rain falls, an extended heat wave, days of cloud, sun and rain, cool and windy days, and so on.  Many days we’ve been enjoying sunshine and beautiful weather without a cloud in the sky.  Those have been the busiest days of all, to make sure and get out and do things and enjoy the perfect weather in case it rains the next day.  In extreme weather, you are inevitably forced to be inside.  During the heat wave, many people couldn’t be outside or they would faint or pass out.  Some people had trouble breathing.  The stores had sold out of air conditioners and pools, so if your air-conditioner broke down, you had to get it fixed and fast!  You never know from one day to the next what the weather’s going to be like.

But in spite of the stress of summer, most of us wouldn’t trade it for anything because we know that cooler, colder, darker days are just ahead.  Now it is August and we notice that the days are getting shorter and the evenings have a cool fall feel to them.  Some people welcome the fall and the regular routine so that they don’t feel such a frenzy to do so much in taking advantage of the warmer weather.  And there are people who feel the loneliest in the summer as they see families and couples enjoying social outings and vacations, and perhaps they are stuck at home alone.  Sometimes we can feel disappointed when our summers don’t turn out as we had hoped.  For instance, this summer turned out much different for me than I imagined.  I probably only accomplished half of what I had planned, since I felt compelled to write a book that the Lord had laid on my heart.  So I spent a good deal of my summer at home outside, writing.  But I’m certainly not complaining!  My last blog entry for The Rapture Question was all about not forgetting our main purpose to look for the coming of the Lord and to be ready, also to evangelize and do the Lord’s work even though it is tempting to take a vacation from the Lord’s work during the summer months.  So the Lord has had me doing just that – writing another inspirational book to stay in the Word, keep praying, and also remembering the ultimate goal – to reach others with the Good News of the Gospel.

Don’t get me wrong, we still need time out to relax and create some kind of wonderful vacation for ourselves.  For some it’s treasured time at a favorite beach or cottage, for others it’s sitting by a cement pool sipping an iced drink, and for others it’s just sitting in the shade reading a good book.  One thing is for sure, we need to enjoy each day as it comes, no matter what the weather brings.  And we need to count our blessings and thank God for providing us with this big bouquet of sunshine, gorgeous flowers, birds singing and the gentle waves of lakes, or oceans, or trickling of brooks. 

Psa 103:1  A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Psa 103:2  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Psa 103:3  Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Psa 103:4  Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Psa 103:5  Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Truly we are blessed!  May you enjoy the rest of your summer, stress-free if possible!