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They call it the “lazy days of summer,” but the truth is it’s just too darn hot!

In Tennessee things begin to slow down in August — I mean REALLY …. s-l-o-w …. d-o-w-n. While I love living in the south, July and August (and even September) in Tennessee can make a person retreat indoors and barricade the house against the heat like soldiers guarding Fort Knox.

With temperatures dancing around the nineties and humidities high enough to ignite an explosion of perspiration walking from the house to the car, it’s no wonder southerners take refuge indoors. Like groundhogs sniffing outside their burrows, we tend to emerge late in the summer evenings for a brief look at the yard. Does the grass need mowing? Naw. It can wait another day. Then we retreat behind insulated walls like we’re scared of our own shadow.

The truth is it’s just too darn hot to be outside!

Interestingly, the bees don’t mind the heat. They like an inside-the-hive temperature of about 93 degrees. Of course, if it gets hotter, they go outside and turn on the air conditioner by fanning their wings at the entrance. Meanwhile, even in the heat I still have to check on the “girls” so I’m standing outside the hives with sweat dripping in my eyes covered from head to toe in a bee suit at 3:00 on a “balmy” 92 degree afternoon. And if the bees are fanning around my face, it’s not because they want to keep me cool. They’re warning me to stay away.

In this heat I have to remind myself, it’s only a season. It seems like only five months ago I was complaining about the cold and longing for the warm days of summer! Now I’m (once again) looking ahead to the cool days of October. We’re never satisfied with the weather — unless we live in Hawaii! As the days imperceptibly grow shorter, we’ll soon be looking at cooler nights and crisp mornings — and we’ll venture outside to work in the yard once again.

God gives us this promise: “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” (Genesis 8:22)  So If I can live with the confidence that there’s always tomorrow, I can also be assured that another season is right around the corner.

You may think your life is “too hot” right now. It may seem like it’s easier to shut the door against that heated situation. You may not see a solution beyond the reach of your arm, but what you’re going through today is not permanent.

Inviting God into the hot spots of your life will shift the atmosphere around you. That messy relationship will be sorted out — or will end (hopefully with forgiveness and healing hearts). Your job situation will be resolved — or you’ll move on (maybe to a more fulfilling position). Even the darkest night is forced to retreat by the rising sun.

There’s always the “But, God … ” in scripture that encourages me. When things seemed hopeless for the Israelites and they cried out to Him, God came to the rescue like the hero riding in on a white horse. He’s not sniffing around the edge of your problem trying to decide if He wants to step into your situation. He’s straining at the starting gate waiting. He’s yearning for you to invite Him to leap onto the track of your life.

Let’s begin to invite God into every area of our lives. He wants to help us make the most of each season we face.

So, while it’s just too darn hot today, take heart. Cooler days are ahead.