It's the summer of 1958 and Greaser, Danny Zuko?
Well, he meets beach blonde bombshell, Sandy Olsson (if you're into Olivia Newton-John, I guess. Which, I'm not) on the sands of Chicago(?).
And you know how these things go, right? They fall in love, and it should be all "happily-ever-after."
There's just one thing, though. Sandy? She's a foreign exchange-student from Australia. And when the summer comes to an end, she fears that the two of them may never see each other again. [Cue the tears.]
In fact, so worried are they that they won't see each other again? That they apparently write and sing a song about their fears together at summer's end. Here's the last line, too. It's a tear-jerker: "Summer dreams ripped at the seams, but oh those summer nights."
Talk about heart-breaking. A summer filled with so much promise--vacations, hopes, dreams, and the possibility of love. And then, it looks like it's all going to be taken away...
I wonder, are you feeling that way about this particular summer? That your "summer dreams have been ripped at the seams"?
After all, plans have had to change for most of us. Vacations that we have dreamed about have either been canceled altogether or postponed (adjusted at the very least-- I mean, even Disney World is closed!). Time spent lounging with friends now comes with a required six feet distance. And when it comes to summer romances? How are you supposed to go on a date with someone from a distance? (On second-thought, thinking of Maisie who will one day date? That whole distance thing in relationships is good. Let's keep that.)
Even summer mainstays like G.R.A.S.P. and VBS are going to be different this year...
Sure, the author of Ecclesiastes says that "there is nothing new under the sun," but it might not feel like that right now (even though it's true. Human beings have dealt with things similar to--and even worse than--this before). So, what are we to do?
Well, we keep moving forward, trusting that God will be with us. In which case, there won't be much talk of COVID-19 anymore. I know that you're tired of hearing about it, anyway!
From this point forward we're just going to be doing ministry together. And that's what this newsletter invites you to do. So, read on and look through what we're planning to do this summer, and help keep the summer dreams alive.
Grace & Peace,
Sam
