"Sweet, Sweeeeet Shade!"

I NEVER imagined I'd live in Louisiana....EVER. But here we are, 10 months into our 3 years here. (Not that I'm counting.) I can't say that I've grown to love it here like I did in Texas, but am learning "in whatever state I am, to be content." (Pun totally intended.) Being a girl who prefers, even loves, warm weather over cold weather, I do enjoy the mild winter and early spring here. The last several weeks have been absolutely gorgeous, and the kiddos and I enjoy making our daily "recess" a nice, invigorating walk around the neighborhood. As things are getting warmer, the walks are getting a little sweatier, if ya know what I mean. Yesterday was the warmest day yet, with late morning temperatures in the upper 80's and humidity at 80%. The sun was beating down especially hard, making the shaded areas on our route so much more enjoyable. One of the streets around the corner from us has HUGE, umbrella-shaped trees that canopy the street. I was moving especially fast toward the refreshing shade, when Kathryn broke out in a dead run ahead of me. As she reached the edge of the trees' shadow, she threw back her arms and head, and yelled, "Sweet, sweeeeet shade!" That is exactly how Wyatt (for whom I do feel comfortable speaking) and I felt, and we ran to meet Kathryn. Had we been able to figure out a way to stay in that shade the rest of the day without missing all the other important parts of our day, we would have done so. But alas, we needed to head back out into the sun again if we were to make it back home. As we plodded back to the house, I thought about "sweet, sweeeeet shade," and of how my life in Christ can be like constantly living in the sweet shade. All through the book of Psalm, David talks about the refuge he found in the shadow of the Lord. I especially love Psalm 91:1, as David reminds us that, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Planting myself daily in God's Word and in His lessons for me ensures that I will be safely tucked into His shadow, sheltered from the heat of life. I seem to spend more time running frantically toward the shade when the sun becomes too much for me, instead of abiding there. I think the Lord probably gets a sad smile on His face as He watches me blunder my way through the journey to which He's given me the map. I'm working harder now at spending my days in the Sweet, Sweeeeet Shade.