An Old Friend

It just hit me this past week: it’s summer! I was in southern Delaware, visiting my sister and three nephews, when I had this awakening. As my nephews and I slowly walked around their neighborhood, my senses came alive with the chirping of birds and the buzzing of bees, the smells of sweet honeysuckle, fresh cut grass, and smoky barbecue, the feeling of thick, golden sunlight pouring over me, and a frisky breeze tickling my toes. As I looked around, beaming with delight, I recognized an old friend: summer.

In that blissful moment, I felt connected to the nature around me, to the busy activity of bugs and birds and burrowers, to the blooming of flowers and the swaying of tall trees, and the warm, humid climate. It was surreal, it was spiritual, and it was relaxing!

I realized that I was able to see summer because I paused to look more deeply at my surroundings. This freed my mind of the many details I’m often tracking, of the pressures of deadlines, of the grinding news cycles, of the distractions of cellphones and laptops. It is liberating to step outside of our contemporary cultural parameters to encounter God’s creation around us. I hope you have had moments to pause and look deeply at your surroundings, to free your mind of whatever is causing you stress, and to recognize summer surrounding and embracing you.