My favorite time of the year is summer and I don’t care what the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage says. Summer is what I live for especially here in Florida.

As soon as Fall arrives in full steam I am looking forward to summer with uncontrollable anticipation.

One thing that attracts me to summer has to do with the weather.

I don’t like cold because I’m growing too old now to shiver properly. When it is cold and I am supposed to be shivering, I don’t have the energy. I admit that I don’t have the energy I had a few years back. Let’s not talk about how many years back. Shivering now is really not part of my exercise program.

I think God created winter for someone like me to appreciate summer. I have had enough winter now so that I can appreciate summer for the rest of my life. I wonder if heaven is going to be like summer?

Another thing I don’t like about being cold is having to wear sweaters and sometimes coats and hats and mittens. When it’s really cold outside by the time I get dressed to go outside I’m either too tired to go outside or I can’t remember why I wanted to go outside in the first place.

It takes me “forever” to get dressed for cold weather.

Another thing about being cold is my brain doesn’t function 100%. When it is cold, parts of my brain have to be used to deal with the cold weather on my body. Don’t ask me how that works, I just know it works.

I have a brain and I take care of my brain and feed my brain so I can use my brain for my things and not for things like the weather!

What I like about summer is that it is hot. I love hot, contrary to the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Don’t let this get around, but she doesn’t like when the weather is hot outside. She complains and complains about how hot it is outside.

I remember one time she was complaining about how hot it was outside and I was sitting there smiling. I try not to let a smile break out on my face when she is complaining about something. This time, the smile broke out on my face and I could not control it.

“What are you,” she said rather snarly, “smiling about now?”

It’s situations like this that usually get me into trouble. If I answer, I’m in trouble. If I don’t answer, I’m in trouble. What’s a husband to do?

But right now it’s not summer and so I’m not in my “happy faze.” I have a rule, when the temperature drops below my age it's too cold for me.

As I was sitting there frowning and muttering to myself, my wife said, “So, what are you complaining about?”

Unfortunately, I was not thinking, which is the usual course for me, and I answered her question.

“I’m just not happy,” I said with a grimace all over my face, “about all this cold weather. I can’t wait for summer to get here.”

Of course, that did not set very well with her. She’s from the state of New York and winter is her best time of the year. She likes snow, which of course doesn’t happen here in Florida, for which I’m thankful. She loves the cold weather and revels in it and there are times, don’t let this get around, that she rubs it in my face.

As of late the weather here has been to her liking. And she’s been happy and going around the house singing while I’m sitting in my chair grimacing. If ever anybody can grimace, it is me. I've had a lot of practice at it.

According to her, fall and winter are the greatest months of the year. And she’s not short in telling me this to my face.

So, I’m sitting here trying not to shiver too much and drinking a very hot cup of coffee. My wife makes many things well, but nothing quite as well as hot coffee. What she doesn’t realize is, as I’m drinking my hot coffee, I’m thinking of summer.

I’m not sure who was the first one who said it, but I think I agree with it, “Opposites attract.” And nothing could be more opposite than my winter wife and her summer husband.

As I thought about this it came to me that the reason I appreciate summer so much is because of the winter. It is during the wintertime that I have this longing for the summer weather. If it wasn’t for winter, I’m not sure I would appreciate summer as much as I do.

I always have a religious twist to things that are happening in my life. As I thought of this it came to my mind that the trials in my life cause me to appreciate the amazing grace of God. It wasn’t for the hard times I wouldn’t appreciate the good times.

I like what James says about this. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12).

I must honestly confess I don’t know how good I have it until I don’t have it so good.