Summer thoughts

 

Summer nature moments

 Summer table bouquets

Summer baking

Summer farm fresh eggs

Summer doctor visits - too many

Summer crepes

Summer Emergency Room

Summer pauses

Summer fruits

Summer cousins

Summer crafting

Summer Church gatherings

Summer homemade treats

Summer decorations

Summer sleeping beauties

Summer spaghetti sauce

Summer bride

Summer wedding

Summer views

Summer - missing the little ones who traveled away

Summer was much too busy for me, and I had a hard time to feel the slow moments that my soul was deeply craving.  I'm going to date myself here, but the song from high school days is playing in my head - in some ways it was a "Cruel Summer" (caution here as I don't give promotion to  the music or video, but share only for those who may have it now nagging them trying to remember this reference). Today, I finally had a brief moment to look through summer photos and it blessed me to see some of the beauty that unfolded over the long, hot days, even among some really hard times.  

An emergency room trip gave me slow as I sat and waited hours and hours with my mom and my daughter.  It's not the slow I prefer, but the busy of life was paused and focused on my little girl.  Waiting in a doctor's office, several times, in great misery, gave me quiet and surrender to prayer.  Not the desired way I would choose, but this was my life.  The hour long drives down the mountain gave beauty in the view of grassy hillsides and wildflowers.  Summer unfolded messy and all over the place, but beauty of the Father's presence was always among us.  

As I gear up to enter my favorite season of autumn, I already see the messy, complicated struggles that will be challenging.  We face freedoms being stripped away, a possible move out of state, my husband leaving his career, and more health issues.  I'm broken in ways that words don't come to adequately express the shattered pieces. I see a broken world.   But, I do see glimmers of hope.  A new marriage and son-in-law added to the family, a new grandbaby announcement after great grief, the moon sharing light among the darkness.  I hold onto that very hope and faithfully trust that my God has this all planned out for me.  I need to rest in that.