Today is the first day of school. Fall is finally here! I am excited for my little guy to start preschool again. He really loved it last spring. It was great for him to build some key social skills. Spring was one of my most productive writing seasons. That changed when summer arrived.
With summer, everything I was working on abruptly halted. Book editing stalled. Platform construction broke down. Research and reading on new topics fell by the wayside. It was me and my little guy for 3 months. He even gave me this look that first week of summer, “Oh, its just you and me? I am going to have to adjust my expectations.” But now that school is here, I find myself reflecting on the gift this summer has been.
First, our relationship has continued to grow. Now that he is at school, I miss him. It is an emotion that I am still getting used too. We had a great summer, overall. It is time I won’t get back. I am very fortunate that for 3 months I got to know and shape my son. We got to mow, swim, play, explore, dance and go to Jump Jam (a trampoline park). I love that little guy and, in many ways, we have built an excellent relationship. The increased time during summer did that for us.
Second, summer has been a time of growth for me personally. With the lack of time to accomplish work on my book or platform, I learned to make the main thing the main thing. It was easy because I simply didn’t have time for any fluff. I learned to let go of habits that I don’t need and manage my time to squeeze the maximum from it. It is easy to let go of bad habits when you don’t have time for them, and growing out of those habits was the greatest gift I received this summer. Now, I have some time. I am apprehensive that I may fall back into my old habits.
Keeping organized and focused will be quite a test of my growth since my dependable work of the book editing is gone. Now, I have to generate and seek opportunity. The quiet office will need to be filled with phone calls and noise as I work on my speaking skills. I can’t get away with the quiet work of an author. I have no excuse. My son has left the house for school which leaves me wondering what I will do with my time. Will I be able to move beyond some of the childish things of the past or will I fall back into those habits? Will I embrace the work before me or will I do the bare minimum?
Today, the first day of school is where I have to make my choice. My choices today will set the tone for the rest of the fall. I am suspicious of my ability to step into the work God has set before me. Pray for me to be the better man that God forged in the summer heat. I beseech God to continue to embolden me in the desire for things from heaven even as the coolness of autumn sets in. My hope is that I will persist in choosing God over my selfish past. If human history is any indication, then I will fail. However, your prayers can help me. Let me know if there is anything I can pray for you as autumn falls on us all.
How was your summer? Did you learn anything or grow in any way? Let me know in the comments.
