All Good Things Come to an End

Endings are better than beginnings. Sticking to it is better than standing out. Ecclesiastes 7:8 (MSG)

Labor Day weekend traditionally marks the official end of Summer. It is when we get in our last barbecues, pool dates, and late-night-movie fests. By Tuesday, everyone will be back to school, back to work, and back to normal. Perhaps.

My hope and desire for myself and for you is that we do not simply go back, but that we move forward changed for the better. I am different since sabbatical, and I never want to be the same. I now have a deeper appreciation for life, for my family and community, even for my calling and vocation. I do not want to forget the lessons I have learned. I want the images of joy, laughter, and good times spent with loved ones to be etched in my mind for some time to come. Yes, our schedules may need to normalize, but let’s not forget the ways we have seen Christ in the sunrise and sunset. Even after we turn our clocks back in a few months, let’s remember how we laughed, danced, and sang the night away, how the sun felt on our face as we napped on the beach, how we curled up with a good book, and screamed with excitement on that rollercoaster.

Before the Summer gets totally gone, take some moments to pause, reflect, and give thanks for all you have experienced over these months. For some of us, this time has been hard. We have said farewell to loved ones, been laid off from jobs, seen relationships, which were once so solid, fall apart. Nevertheless, we made it. We are making it. God is still being God and God is still good. Take time to remember and be grateful. For only then, can we be sure that our minds, hearts, souls, and spirits are fully open and receptive to whatever the Lord will do next.