Summertime in My Heart

“To everything there is a season…”

…except, of course, for flip-flops. I’m pretty sure even Solomon would have agreed. I mean, didn’t he wear sandals year-round?

It’s so hard to say goodbye to summer…some years harder than others. It’s not that I don’t love other seasons. I love the Fall colors, crisp air, pumpkins, and crunchy leaves. I even love a good Winter snow…if I don’t have to drive in it or shovel it.

But, I miss the sun shining in the mornings urging me to start the day with a smile.

So how do I get through the darker days? I remind myself that I have been given the Son…eternal, bright, and glorious.

Every day the enemy tempts me to forget that I am a completely new creation. He lies about my identity, my worth, and my purpose. He wants to keep me in the dark about the power that I now possess in Christ.

My flesh is used to old habits and sin patterns that confuse and conflict with my spirit. I often place myself back in the chains that have already been broken, and I behave as though I believe the lies of the enemy.

So, I must surround myself with truth. Every day, I review what Christ did for me and in me. I read parts of Hebrews and Romans to refresh my memory about my new life, status, and position. I rehearse 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 to dispel any notion that I’m still part sinner rather than fully saint.

Truth melts the cold that threatens to defeat and discourage, and just like the unknown hymn writer says:

               It is summertime in my heart.

               It is summertime in my heart.

               Since Jesus saved me, new life He gave me.

               Even in wintertime it’s summer in my heart.

So, I may be packing up most of the flip-flops (keepin’ a few out just in case), and replacing them with boots, but nothing can replace the summertime that Christ has brought to my heart!

~Rebecca Phillips