The 3 R's

Image via Pinterest

By Lisa Robertson

The “dog days of summer” are in full swing.  I don't know about you, but I can’t get enough air conditioning, enough water or enough sunscreen.  The arrival of these hot days often signal the beginning of the end of summer.  Yes, summer is on the way out. And many families are beginning the exciting process of getting ready for school.

Tax free weekends, new school shoes, fancy notebooks, pens, pencils and crayons will fill the carefully selected backpacks.     This is a great time of year and needs to be celebrated every year-the children are always evolving into the young men and women that God created them to be.    Back to school is one of the great ways to herald their progress.    The 3 R’s are a great way to focus on these significant changes

What are the three R’s?  Not what you are expecting.

1.   Relax- Yes, relax.  Read a book, sleep in, watch a sunset.  There is no better time, to slow your life down, relax than in August.  Let your children relax and enjoy these final weeks.  The stress of school will be dictating their schedule soon enough.   Psalm 116: I said to myself, "Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings.”    Sometimes, I work myself into a frenzy trying to be good enough for the blessings from God.  His word is the “Relax and rest!”  What a great God we have.

2.   Ready- ready or not, here comes the school bus, the sports teams and the homework.  Take the time to prepare and get ready for new friends, new activities, and get ready to learn new things. Even as adults, I find that August is the perfect time to plan for the first months of fall.  For me to get ready involves my preparations, plans, and a restful, deliberate approach to the days ahead.   David was ready for battle, Samuel was ready to listen, Esther was ready for the king…being ready is one way of securing success.

3.   Restore-restoration is something that God longs to do for us.   The Psalms describe God’s promises of restoration in these verses…..

      

     Psalm 23:3-He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

     Psalm 51:12- Restore to me the joy of salvation…..

When God restores me, he brings me back to the basics of my faith.  Reading the Bible, praying for the big and little details of life, filling me with the peace of being in His presence.  Unfortunately, the demands of vacations can throw even the most devoted lives off kilter.  With the gift of restoration comes the peace that passes all understanding, a rest in his presence, a reunion with the gentle love of God.

Before the dog days leave us,  take the 3 R’s to heart.  Relax-enjoy the summer, get ready for the weeks and months ahead, and enter the place of restoration and peace with God.