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Surviving Summer

Well, summer's officially over. It dawned on me today as I was straightening up the house (again). But, first, a little background. 

You see, my oldest son had been at the same child care facility for nearly three years and was weeks away from graduating with his friends when he was unceremoniously kicked out. He didn't deserve to be booted, in my opinion. He wasn't hurting anyone or being profane, the things that normally warrant such action. And, needless to say he was heartbroken. We managed to get him reinstated until graduation after a week's suspension, but were told in no uncertain terms that he was not welcome back for the summer program, a fun-filled camp that he had participated in for the last two years. 

In that moment, my plans for him (and, hence, myself) changed. At the time, I had another job on top of my consulting business demands, so this posed a problem. But, it takes a lot to knock the wind out of my sails. So, I set forth piecing together a creative calendar for the upcoming three months, enrolling the children in camps, VBS programs and activities. Holes were filled in here and there with planned family events. When all was said and done, I stepped back and admired the carefully constructed schedule with pride. It was a thing of beauty. 

Fast forward to today. After meeting J.T.'s teacher last night and turning in our school supplies, I began purging our refrigerator of unnecessary ornamentation. In doing so, I came across the calendar, with days marked off one month after another. I had done it. I wasn't sure we would make it, but we did. It was an uncertain plan to say the least. Would all the times work out? Would the children cooperate? How would they do with such a back-and-forth routine instead of the stability of the same-old same-old? But here we are at the end of August, plunging headlong into kindergarten and mother's day out, with a summer full of wonderful memories. 

In a way, I'm thankful to his preschool for denying him summer camp entrance. It was a gift. Despite the occasional frustrations of moody toddlers and fighting boys, a messy house and a floor that never seemed to stay clean, nothing but good things came from being forced into a new routine. To tell the truth, now that school is here, I'm a little sad. I'm excited for the boys, but I know those days when they are both gone, I will miss them, chaos and all. 

I reluctantly threw the calendar in the garbage, wanting vaguely to hang on to it, as sort of a souvenir of the summer of '09. It was the summer we not only survived, but thrived. 

Isn't it amazing how God works? Will I ever ceased to be awed by his architecture of our lives? Probably not. Just like that well-constructed calendar, he is weaving our daily lives, whether we like the current situation or not. And I'm thinking that when He's done, He admires our lives as I did my schedule, with pride at what He has created, the beauty of its intricacies, and most of all the triumphant outcome in the end. 

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