Ecclesiastes 11:7-8 NLT 
'Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning. When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. Everything still to come is meaningless.'
How do you remember the summers of your childhood? I recall days of endless sunshine, playing outside with friends. Every morning, I simply pulled on a T-shirt, shorts and sandals and ran free. There wasn’t a dark cloud in the sky, only the threat of the advancing autumn school term. These I remember as rainy, cold and miserable. Even today, summer is special. I rise early and enjoy the sun filling the sky with light and warmth.  
Experiencing the warmth of the sun’s rays upon the skin slows me down. I enjoy that moment of warmth penetrating my skin. I remember when Mum lived with us, she so enjoyed sitting with the direct sunlight on her arthritic shoulder, her face reflecting the joy that relief from the constant pain gave her. So with Christ, whatever the issues that trouble us, if we take time to bask in the warmth of God’s love, so we can find relief. 
All of life is seasonal and we must learn to adjust our gaze to the immediate present and God’s presence within it. Strange how both the warmth of the sun and the pain of life’s trials tend to slow us down. One through the very pleasure of its effect upon our bodies, the other under the sheer weight of emotion as we process the challenge invading and threatening our security. 
Colossians 3:3 asserts: “Your life is…hidden with Christ in God.” There is nothing more than your friendship with God. We don’t need to sweat the small stuff; and everything is small stuff. 
I am free to rest in God regardless of events that impact my life.  
QUESTION: Do you struggle with a need to make sense of your life? 
PRAYER: Lord, thank you that I can bask in your light and warmth. 

Released on 17 Aug 2020