September is Just Around the Corner

As September rolls around, what do you think of?

As I’m writing this, it is August. And as a parent, looking ahead to September, well, it means one thing comes readily to mind: Back to School Shopping!

As a kid, I always hated back to school shopping. Not that it meant that summer was almost over – no, I looked forward to school (I was weird that way). But I just plain hated shopping – especially back to school shopping. There were always huge crowds fighting over whatever supplies were left. And then there was the perennial argument with my parents when it came to buying clothes. I wanted designer labels, and my parents couldn’t afford it – but that didn’t stop me from whining, begging, and pleading.

Oh, I hated back to school shopping as a kid. But now that I’m a parent ... I still hate back to school shopping! But today, it’s the checklists that drive me crazy! In kindergarten, you need a glue stick and washable markers. In early elementary? Don’t forget a supply box and ball point pens. Later elementary? Now we’re talking three ringed binders and backpacks. Middle school and High School, all the same things ... but now they have to be cool. Oh, and what in the world are these “book socks”? When I was a kid, we covered our books with paper bags we got from a grocery store!

But it all comes down to “what do we need?”. What do we need in life? We have our check-lists when it comes to our school needs. But what do we really need to get us through life?

You guessed it! Jesus Christ. All we really need in life is him. We don’t need designer labels, book socks, or even that box of tissues every teacher makes each kid buy. Nope. To get through life, all we really need is Jesus. And to get through death, all we need is Jesus.

I’m here to tell you that Jesus Christ is with you, through the good times and rotten times of your life, to share in your joys, and more imporantly, to take on your grief and burdens, to take on your sin and death, and in exchange, he gives you his peace, joy, and everlasting life.

Jesus is really all you need.

But don’t forget to buy those tissues, or your teacher will be mad.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Mark