The “Unofficial” Start of Summer!

We all know summer doesn’t begin until June 21, but this weekend was the unofficial start, and it sure seemed like summer!

There was the anticipation of the Memorial Day parade…

We had a cookout…

We picked flowers for everybody…

It was even warm enough to strip down and run around in the sprinkler!

Yep, I’d say summer has “unofficially” begun! But, we’re living like it’s “official”. We’re enjoying time outside. We’re wearing summer clothes (well, unless like my grandson’s, they just fly off!), we’re eating summer food, we’re enjoying summer activities, and we’re making summertime memories with those we love.

We’re living in summer without waiting for the calendar to catch up.

We also don’t have to wait for the calendar to begin living in our eternal life. Death is not the “official” start of eternity; our eternal life begins the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord.

If our eternal lives have already begun, why don’t we live like we’re in eternity? Why do we dwell on the temporary as if it is the most important thing? Why do we let today’s troubles overwhelm us? Why do we worry about tomorrow’s troubles?

Therefore we do not lose heart. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 – (NIV)

How different would your perspective be if you kept foremost in your mind that you are, today, a flag bearer in Jesus’ parade?

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. – 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)

How much brighter would your life be if you remembered that you have the privilege of eating and drinking with Jesus today, and every single day!

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:39 (NIV)

How much more joy would you bring to those around you if you spent less time worrying, and more time trusting in the Sovereign Lord to take care of today?

People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever. – 1 Peter 1:24 (NLT)

And how much more freely would you live if you cast off the self-righteousness you are using trying to cover your sin and today started trusting Jesus’ righteousness to remove your sin?

So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” – Galatians 3:11 (NLT)

Those of us who have trusted Jesus have received eternal life. It is ours now. When your calendar days are used up, where will you be spending your eternal life?