By: John Kerr
“Summertime and the livin’ is easy.” or so goes the classic Gershwin song. We all look forward to the summer; a time for vacationing and putting away our winter clothes and hopefully having fun. However, if you live in the North of Canada and are familiar with what “living off grid” entails, you soon realize that there are only two seasons: winter (which is long) and summer (which is short)!
Summer, for those who do not rely on services like those provided by the municipality, hydro and perhaps natural gas, is a time for preparation, a time to catch one’s breath and a time to repair what was broken during the previous winter.
Firewood needs to be cut, dried and stacked. A canning garden needs to be planted, which in itself is a declaration of war against the elements and those creatures that think you are providing a supermarket for them! Spring is that soggy season after winter which usually entails a quagmire around your property. Fall is the whistle that says the next round is about to begin in a heavy weight fight.
We are spoiled in Southern Ontario. If you believe that living in a cabin in the bush is a romantic alternative to life down here, I hate to break the news to you!
When we consider our spiritual lives, we look forward to the summer days of bright skies, warm sunshine and a sense of freedom we long for. It seems that, more than ever, we are inundated with messages that suggest the Christian life is meant to be all sunshine and happiness. After all, God is love, right?
There is no downtime in the spiritual life. A good example is found in the Old Testament from 1Kings 18:20-40 where Elijah stands alone against 450 prophets of Baal and with the power of God defeats them but, shortly after, flees for his life when the king’s wife threatens to kill him.
He cries out to the LORD while sitting under a tree: “It is enough; now, O LORD take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” (1Kings 19:4)
What changed? The seasons of his spiritual life. Consider, in the New Testament, Peter. Always mercurial for sure, but an example of one who excelled in the summertime but wilted when the threatening clouds of winter began to fill the sky.
Where we lived in Northern B.C. In early July the day never fully became dark. For a few weeks it was perpetual twilight. One night I was working out in my garden, and I heard Brenda calling: “Do you know what time it is?” I didn’t realize that it was almost midnight and still light out. However, in December for a few weeks around Christmas darkness filled the sky for most of the day.
This is an important Biblical theme: be ready, be prepared, don’t let your guard down. So, enjoy summer while it lasts because winter is coming!
