September, Labor Day, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and the awkward weather that requires a little extra thought to avoid both freezing in the morning and getting heat stroke in the afternoon are all signs that Minnesota's summer is at an end. Getting back into school comes with the inevitable (and constant) question of "how was your summer?"
Over the past couple weeks, that has proven to be a more difficult question than I had realized. Every time I was asked, there was part of me that wanted to say "my summer was fine," and just leave it at that. I didn't realize that I was struggling to process various events in the past few months until people started asking me about them. My summer was full of ups and downs, there was a lot that was incredible, and a lot that was incredibly difficult, and while I tried to answer as honestly and succinctly as possible, there was part of me that always wondered if my answer was truly honest when I told people (whole-heartedly) that my summer was good.
My summer was good. In some ways, it was pretty rough, but in others, it was an incredible joy. A deep joy. I saw and felt more of who God is in a tangible way. I experienced peace and joy, as well as discouragement and frustration. I learned and I grew, and I also stumbled and failed. The ups and downs helped me to realize how mindlessly I apply the word "good" to things, and that "good" isn't always nice, or easy, or even always happy.
My summer was good because God is near to the broken-hearted. My summer was good because He is faithful, even through my mistakes and regrets. My summer was good because there is such incredible joy and delight in the little things, because we serve a God who loves to give good gifts to His children, and spending time with my younger siblings helped me to see that over and over again. My summer was good because I had the incredible privilege of helping students learn, both in Sunday School and at SSI, and I realized once again how much I love watching lightbulb moments happen. My summer was good because of the time spent with friends and family who encourage me in my walk with the Lord. My summer was good because God's grace is sufficient in the midst of sickness, allergic reactions, and treatment plans that are written and re-written.
My summer was a rollercoaster, and there are parts of it that I am still struggling to process, and in the midst of it, God was (and is) good. He isn't good because of how my summer went, He, the Unchanging God, is always good. But it is because of my summer that I am more aware of the fact that God is unchangingly good. And because of that, my summer was most definitely good.
