“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22
Dear Redeemer Family:
Some of you may have wondered, “When were the seasons created?” And they are a part of creation. But they were not created in Genesis 1 or 2. No. They are a creation which comes, strangely, as a result of Noah’s Flood in Genesis 8. See, God continues to create.
I tell you that because we are definitely in the heat of summer section of the seasons. As I write this, my thermometer says that it is 96 degrees. We are under a heat warning and will be for the next several days. And to top it all off, we aren’t even in the Dog Days of summer yet! Yay! And it is not just here. There was a news story today that the ocean waters off of Florida hit 100 degrees. That’s not exactly conducive for a nice cool swim.
You may not believe in “Global Warming” or “Climate Change.” But you have to agree that it is hot. And around here, we have an added attraction: humidity. Again, Yay! If you are going outside, make sure that you have some water with you. A lot of people love to go out and take in God’s beautiful creation, frolic in nature. And that is a way of thanking God for all of the wonders which he has created. But take precautions. Dehydration can sneak up on you, especially when it is humid.
Having grown up in a desert, I will give you another bit of advice. Go slow. Heat can hit hard and fast. Part of my responsibility as a pastor is to also see to the physical health of our church members, not just the spiritual needs. We are in dangerous heat. Take care of yourselves. I was visiting a member in a hospital yesterday. At the main door of the hospital, there was an ice chest with iced water for anyone to take. The hospitals are also trying to be preemptive.
Take care of yourselves. Don’t push yourselves. Don’t overdo outside in this heat. Again, contrary what many people believe, if you read Dante’s Inferno, the lowest level of Hell is not hot. It is a frozen lake. That sounds a bit tempting at the moment. But temptation is what got us into this mess in the first place. Don’t tempt fate. Take care of yourselves and stay cool. Remember, there is another season coming up. And hopefully, it will be much more comfortable. The next season is also, I believe, the most beautiful one to enjoy around here anyway. Take care in this oppressive time.
In Christ,
Pastor Rose