Saturday I sat on my front porch a little while and got the faintest touch of a suntan. That's not very remarkable unless you read the date of this posting and realize that last Saturday was November 7, and I don't live in Florida. We have had killing frost already, gardens have been put to bed, most leaves have fallen, and we're beginning to think about the holidays. Nevertheless, it turned beautifully warm and sunny Saturday so after a walk I took off my jacket, rolled up my pants' legs and cat napped in the sun on the front porch. Wonderful! And probably more so because it was such an unexpected treat.

We call those warm November days that sometimes, but not always, follow the first cold snap, Indian Summer. It's a reprieve from the cold and a second chance to get those things done outside that have been neglected: Cut back the raspberries, give the field one more mowing or stack in some more firewood, things we knew needed doing but, well, you know...

Indian Summer reminds me of one my favorite verses in the Bible, Jonah 3:1 : "And the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time" The short, quirky little book of Jonah is, to my mind, one of the funniest, saddest and most "real" stories in the Old Testament. It's the story of a man called by God to preach repentance to Nineveh, and he runs away--not because he doubts God will save them, but because he believes He will. (There's some history there between Jonah and those Ninevites) So anyway, Jonah runs into a boat which runs into storm, and finally he gets fed to a fish. Jonah prays while he is in the fish--who wouldn't-- and so the Lord has the fish upchuck Jonah on the beach (I am not making this up). And then comes my verse, and every time I read it I can almost hear God just let out a big sigh. "Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time saying.." and He repeats His instructions. This time Jonah goes, he preaches, they repent, revival breaks out.

So what is it that I love about this verse exactly? Just this. Jonah blew it big time. Not some "small" little "I forgot" kind of offence. I mean deliberate, in your face, running the opposite way disobedience. He literally ran away from God, or he tried to. And rather than just washing His hands of Jonah and going to get another prophet to preach to Nineveh, God chases down Jonah so He can give him another chance to obey. That is so God! And Jonah, well, unfortunately, he is so ME sometimes.

Indian Summer. A second chance to do the things you should have done before. I'm so glad my God is a God of second chances.