Summer

“Summertime . . . and the living is easy . .” goes a Southern lullaby. Another song speaks of the “lazy” days of summer. These relaxed images or pictures of life may fit a child who is out of school for the summer and has a mom at home so he can spend the summer in his own backyard and house. But do they fit you?

What is your image of summer? Relaxed, lazy? Hard-working, physical? Do you like it better or worse than other seasons? Explain why.

Describe a summer event that you remember well – a good or bad, happy or sad event. What summer (for example, 1996) do you remember very well?

Do you change your behavior or lifestyle in the summer? Do you go outdoors more or take more trips? Explain any changes in your life, play, work, travel, visitors, parties, school etc. Do you have any summer traditions?

In the summer of 1965, a riot occurred in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. The hot temperatures may have helped hot tempers turn to anger and violence when two white policemen arrested two African-Americans for a minor traffic violation. Do you think hot temperatures can make our tempers heat up also? When the thermometer goes up to the ‘90s and 100’s (Farenheit), how do you feel? What temperatures do you consider warm, hot or too hot? Do you remember the experience of a heat wave? How did you get through it? (survive it?) What do you do to get cool?

Speaking of getting cool, do you enjoy swimming, running through sprinklers or water parks? Have you ever gone down a water slide? Do you like to swim in pools or natural bodies of water like lakes or the ocean? Do you water ski or do other water sports? Do you know how to swim? Have you ever taken swimming lessons? Do you enjoy boating or fishing?

Do your eating habits change in the summer? If so, how do they change?

What do you think about the following advice from the proverbs in the Bible?

“You people who don’t want to work, think about the ant!

Consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander.

It has no leader or ruler.

But it stores up its food in summer. It gathers its food at harvest time.

You lazy people, how long will you lie there? When will you get up

from your sleep? You might sleep a little or take a little nap.

You might even fold your hands and rest.

Then you would be poor, as though someone had robbed you.

You would have little, as if someone had stolen from you.

Proverbs 6:6-11