Come as you are

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” ~  Henry James

“Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair…” ― Susan Polis Schutz

Dear Summer,

I love you. I know we only have a few short weeks left and you will be leaving but I have enjoyed our time together and wish you could stay.

You have given me times at the lake, flowers in the garden, evening strolls, endless dinners on the grill, picnics with friends and family, trips down the shore, scattered flip flops everywhere, bonfires, sticky s’mores, and so much more. You have mended my broken heart more than once through the years with gifts of sunshine and ice cream, the sun on my face and flowers in my hair. Each year, you come back again to help me create beautiful memories. Thank you.  

xoxo,

Dianna

P.S. You’re my favorite, but don’t tell the other seasons.

If my letter to Summer didn’t reveal my secret, I love summer and I have a hard time accepting that Fall will be here before we know it. On the hottest day of the Summer, I always close my eyes and tell myself to remember this moment and this day and how hot it is and on those brisk fall days and the cold winter days, I think back to that moment of warmth as a way of reminding myself that Summer will be back again one day. I honestly never want it to end.

As I look back at past summers, I see a trail of beautiful and bittersweet memories. There have been summers that overflowed with joy and summers filled with deep sadness and pain. The common thread is that every summer was unique and created its own story and memories.

Just as every natural summer has its own story and memories, so does every spiritual summer. Throughout our lives, we will each walk through the spiritual seasons many times. Autumn is a time of change. Winter is a time of perseverance. Spring is a time of rebirth and new life. And Summer is a time for bearing fruit and embracing the abundant life that surrounds us.

The key to embracing our spiritual summer, no matter what time of year it is, in the natural, is to remember to seize the joy of the season. This is a time to feel the heavenly warmth on our face and enjoy the beauty.

Summer is a season known for cultivating and bearing good fruit. Oh goodness, there is just nothing like a sweet, sun-ripened, summer strawberry. It is like a taste of heaven on earth! Our spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control must also be cultivated and ripened so it can taste even sweeter than the best summer strawberry. There is one sure way to do this, and that is to remember who our spiritual gardener is and to remain in him always. Jesus said:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NIV)

I know that Autumn is coming, but let’s never forget to celebrate our summers, both the natural and the spiritual, and embrace every memory being created, because God’s hand is in each one. I hope your summer has created beautiful stories and memories for you and you can thank God for the gift of summer, ice cream cones, backyard barbecues and sun-drenched memories.

“A fallen leaf is nothing more than a summer’s wave goodbye.”  ~  Unknown

Peace,

Pastor Dianna