I'll Be in My Hammock

By Missey Butler
Guest Writer

CBN.com - Hot diggity! Summer’s here, and the liv’n is easy. It's time to tie off the old hammock under the blooming Mimosa, and heap on the charcoal briquettes, as we ready the grill once again for those mouth watering, “Have it your way” burgers!

You can sense the excitement in the air as we head into the last weekend of May, traditionally known as the kick-off season for those long awaited summer months!

This holiday weekend is shaping up to look a lot like many of the Memorial Day weekends of the past. The interstate traffic is at a stand still, as the local news helicopters hover while reporting that cars are backed up for miles, resembling an endless row of what look like ants, slowly making their way out of town to various vacation spots.

The Doppler radar is showing fair skies with a high around 80 degrees. A small piper cub airplane putters at low altitude, trailing a long streaming banner. The message advertises an invitation to “Come and enjoy an all-you-can-eat dinner buffet" of sumptuous crab legs with a spectacular fireworks display on the boardwalk.

I have to admit, all this gala and excitement is starting to make me feel a little blue. Now you might ask yourself, how could someone feel so down, when everything and everybody is so up? It’s the beginning of the summer season for goodness sake!

But that is exactly the problem! Everybody in the whole wide world is having fun, except me. Can I hear some violins please?

One of the reasons I have been feeling down is because our family finances are in somewhat of a slump. We have made the decision to forego some of our vacationing activities for a while.

My hubby and I have been tightening our belts for so long, that I am beginning to feel like I have a starring role in my own personal version of The Grapes of Wrath. And frankly, I was getting a little tired of the whole “all work and no play” scene and yes, it was making me a little cranky.

Then I heard the voice of my closest friend as He whispered “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6)

Yes Lord, I am very familiar with that verse, but if you don’t mind I’d like to just sit here and sulk for a while.

So off I went, like a pouting child, as I promptly threw myself into the embrace of another good friend, my backyard hammock. I folded my arms making a pillow for my neck as I gazed upward at the tall trees, and watched the pine needle branches sway back and forth, eclipsing the bright rays of the sun.

After a while, I started to think about all that I had to be thankful for. Suddenly the scene around me began to change as my attitude began to lighten up.

From my hammock I quietly began to take notice of all my surroundings: the relaxing tap-tapping sound of the neighbor’s lawn sprinklers' as it made its' repetitive cycle, and the little girls across the street loudly vocalizing their ice-cold lemonade for sale at only 25 cents a glass.

I looked over to see my husband bent over the broken lawn mower, turning his ball cap around backwards, which signified that he was going to get that baby runnin' no matter what!

I watched as Murphy, our 12-year-old skye terrier, was completely mesmorized by a nearby dragonfly. Champ and Ivan, my other two dogs were on the opposite ends of a plastic frisbee playing “tug of war,” while Miss “Poody Tat,” our beloved calico cat was sneaking up on a very unsuspecting blue jay.

Yep, life on the farm is pretty laid back, and I thank God I’m a Christian gal!

Even though the world may be busy with more thrilling and exciting weekend plans, for myself, I’ve discovered that holiday weekends at our household can be quite a nice little get away after all.

If you need me this weekend, you probably already know where you can find me. I’ll be in my hammock, thinking about some good things!

Philippians 4:8 says,

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

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