With Seasons Come Stories

"Every summer has its own story"

I wish these words came from my mouth first, but these are actually the words of a friend. I have had the sentiment that every summer has its own story, but I just couldn't articulate that each summer has its own goodness. Indeed, not just the summer seasons create new stories, but every season that makes up the year.

This summer was a good summer, because I got to wear many hats. Teacher's assistant, painter, plant sitter, pet sitter, bellman, and other odd jobs here and there. Through each position, I formed relationships. Some still lasting, others will pick up when we meet eye to eye again. So maybe the summer wasn't a good summer because I had all these different job experiences, but rather that I got to form relationships.

One of my biggest struggles coming into college was forming relationships. To some extent, I didn't have an interest in relating to others and I would say I am more on the introverted side. Instead of being comfortable around others, I worried about what I was going to say. On a very basic level, I worried about the topic of conversation. Would I be able to share any words? Forming relationships was something that I feared, and the fear was there because I want relationships to last. And growing up, that wasn't the case. Seasonal father figures, a mother who I missed dearly as her presence fluttered, and I believe that's possibly something that fueled my fear of relationships. I didn't know if they would last. And if they didn't, I didn't know that that's okay if relationships don't continue forever. Some relationships end intentionally, while others are paused but pick right up when its time for them to continue. But there is one relationship that should always remain, and that is our relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. That is actually the only relationship we can rely on wholeheartedly. No matter where we are we can always rely on Him. No matter where we are! Yet, we still detract ourselves from Him. God creates reality, and the reality that He creates is far more life-giving than any other dreamy fantasy we can muster ourselves. God's reality has taught me that no matter the mistakes I make, He is always God and His reality always is, with or without me. That's a fact, we can choose to live in the reality God creates or we can walk away and live without His reality. Either way, God prevails in His plan. Being a follower of Christ, means having a relationship with Him and His people. One thing I've learned about God's love is that it is constant. He always loves. Another thing I've learned is that being in a relationship requires reciprocity. He loves us unconditionally, but we also must love Him and His people so that we can experience His reality to the fullest. Relationships that come to fruition, have done so because of a back and forth and a face to face. God doesn't turn His face from us, and we should never turn ours from His. How can we know someone if we are always talking to the back of their head?

This summer's story continued to teach me about relationships. And it did so through working side by side with people, providing services, teaching people, worshiping together, learning together, laughing together, and crying together. Simply put, I lived and shared the day to day with the people around me.