My Silver Linings Playbook

I hate summer. Okay so hate is a strong word...that's why I used it. As silly as it may sound, I actually go into a mild depression months June through September—my husband can attest. The heat makes me crazy! I will go to extreme measures to pretend it’s anytime but summertime. You might find me with the thermostat set at 60 degrees, cuddled up in a blanket on the couch, with a mug of hot chocolate watching Christmas movies in July. One negative reaction after another came in response to my dislike for summer, so I actually started keeping a list of all the reasons I do not like this time of year. That way I could be quick to defend my statement. It looks something like this:

Trying to cool off a car with an internal temperature of 115 degrees is almost impossible.

There are no comfortable clothes when it’s hot outside. And forget about fashion.

The electric bill goes up, the balance in my bank account goes down.

Excessive shaving is required.

All of the good television shows go on hiatus.

The days are long…way too long. Can it just get dark outside already!?

Schools out. Teenagers are everywhere!

June bugs.

Mosquitos!

I sound really whiney right? As a Christian I struggle with my negative reaction to God’s creation. Troubled by my icky feelings I started to think of a recent book turned blockbuster movie; Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. While I don’t condone the foul language in this masterpiece, it brought a very refreshing and entertaining light to the age old questions of life, love, and happiness.

“I don't want to stay in the bad place, where no one believes in silver linings or love or happy endings.”  ― Matthew Quick and Pat Solitanohas

"You have to do everything you can. You have to work your hardest. If you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." ― Matthew Quick and Pat Solitanohas

Those are my two favorite Silver Linings quotes. The basic moral of the story was to look for the good through the bad no matter your circumstances, and make that your focus. As trivial as my feelings of hopelessness during the summer season may seem, they are real. And after watching this movie, I thought, I need a silver linings play book for summer! God never intended for me to mope around and loath, waiting for days to pass with no purpose other than to make it to September 22^nd every year. So I started writing down all the things about summer I like...

Snow cones after dinner.

Shark week on Discover Channel!

So it’s not quite a list yet, but summer’s not over and I’m working on it! My true playbook is my Bible. And when I searched my Bible the following is the closest thing I could find to “silver linings.”

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” (Romans 8:26-28 MSG)

We have a choice to be positive and look for the silver lining. It’s not always easy to cope with the difficulties or the things that make us sad, but we always have our Father there to hold our hand and help us recognize the good in whatever gloom may be invading everyday life. I prefer cloudy days to sunny ones, which means LOTS of silver linings! Only 58 days of summer left! But, who's counting right?