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Summer Blessings - August 01, 2006
"Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter." Psalm 74:17
A few weeks ago, my son Doug competed in the Port Huron to Mackinac Island sailboat race and not only won, but set a record. His sailing skill comes from growing up with boats. Picturing him crossing the finish line on the Great Lakes waters at the tip of Michigan's Lower Peninsula brings back memories of summers of family boating.
Our family loves to race. But sailing also is a time for us to slow the pace of life that, at times, can become hectic. Boating is a chance to really hear friends and family members, and to look and listen for God through His creation. On boats, I've experienced God in mild southern breezes and northern gale-force winds, in sunrises and sunsets, in light reflected on calm water and waves that crash over a bow, and in the laughter and conversation of people who simply are enjoying the ride and being together.
I've also experienced God in family and friends. A boat is the ideal place for togetherness. You stay pretty close to each other on a boat, and the best entertainment available is conversation. On our boat we do something we call "Your Turn in the Box Tonight." If it's your turn in the box, you tell your life story. It's amazing to discover how little we really know about each other, even our best friends, and how much we can learn from just listening.
We're plugged in today with everything from cell phones and iPods to email and hundreds of TV channels. In this digital age, I've said I feel more analog than most, but I still know how easy it is to forget there's a world where sounds and sights come from nature instead of an entertainment center.
And summer's a great time to experience this world, and to look and listen for God in a special place far from the interference of civilization. A boat on the water is a wonderful place to appreciate the blessings of summer. But, for you, it might be a hike in the mountains or camping in a forest. Your favorite summer place might be a stretch of beach, a country road, a bike path, your backyard garden or a picnic blanket in a park.
God created summer and has filled the season with wonders to behold if only we take the time to look and listen. In this last full month of summer, let's all make time before the start of the busy back-to-school school season to experience God in the stillness and beauty of the world He created before we created so many of the distractions that can separate us from Him. You just might hear in a birdsong, smell in a flower, see in a sunset, taste in a fresh ear of sweet corn, feel in a summer breeze, or notice in a comment from a child a lesson from God that will refresh and sustain you when you return to your daily routine.
Rich DeVos is the former chairman of Gospel Communications. He is also the author of "Hope From My Heart: Ten Lessons for Life," co-founder of Amway Corp., and owner and chairman of the NBA's Orlando Magic.
"Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter." Psalm 74:17
A few weeks ago, my son Doug competed in the Port Huron to Mackinac Island sailboat race and not only won, but set a record. His sailing skill comes from growing up with boats. Picturing him crossing the finish line on the Great Lakes waters at the tip of Michigan's Lower Peninsula brings back memories of summers of family boating.
Our family loves to race. But sailing also is a time for us to slow the pace of life that, at times, can become hectic. Boating is a chance to really hear friends and family members, and to look and listen for God through His creation. On boats, I've experienced God in mild southern breezes and northern gale-force winds, in sunrises and sunsets, in light reflected on calm water and waves that crash over a bow, and in the laughter and conversation of people who simply are enjoying the ride and being together.
I've also experienced God in family and friends. A boat is the ideal place for togetherness. You stay pretty close to each other on a boat, and the best entertainment available is conversation. On our boat we do something we call "Your Turn in the Box Tonight." If it's your turn in the box, you tell your life story. It's amazing to discover how little we really know about each other, even our best friends, and how much we can learn from just listening.
We're plugged in today with everything from cell phones and iPods to email and hundreds of TV channels. In this digital age, I've said I feel more analog than most, but I still know how easy it is to forget there's a world where sounds and sights come from nature instead of an entertainment center.
And summer's a great time to experience this world, and to look and listen for God in a special place far from the interference of civilization. A boat on the water is a wonderful place to appreciate the blessings of summer. But, for you, it might be a hike in the mountains or camping in a forest. Your favorite summer place might be a stretch of beach, a country road, a bike path, your backyard garden or a picnic blanket in a park.
God created summer and has filled the season with wonders to behold if only we take the time to look and listen. In this last full month of summer, let's all make time before the start of the busy back-to-school school season to experience God in the stillness and beauty of the world He created before we created so many of the distractions that can separate us from Him. You just might hear in a birdsong, smell in a flower, see in a sunset, taste in a fresh ear of sweet corn, feel in a summer breeze, or notice in a comment from a child a lesson from God that will refresh and sustain you when you return to your daily routine.
Rich DeVos is the former chairman of Gospel Communications. He is also the author of "Hope From My Heart: Ten Lessons for Life," co-founder of Amway Corp., and owner and chairman of the NBA's Orlando Magic.
