Like no other season, summer invites us to relax and enjoy its sounds, smells, and stillness.
Tune in to the sound of a sudden downpour, the uninhibited laughter of children, the songs of birds flitting from branch to branch, and the cadence of croaking frogs and shrill crickets.
Take time to smell the flowers, literally and figuratively. Inhale fresh sea-salt air. Enjoy the aroma of outdoor fires lit for the sake of a marshmallow on a stick, or the enticing scent of grilling meat. Smell the freshness of the air after a summer rainfall.
Sensitize yourself to summer’s stillness—a quieter schedule and a quieter self. Let your thoughts wander to where they’ll be nourished. Read that inspiring book, or neglected passage in the Bible. Spend time with the one you’ve intended to contact but time wouldn’t allow. Think… about things that are true, noble, right, pure, and lovely. “Whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).
This picture was taken at a prayer garden we discovered in New Holland, PA. God led Its creator to develop a peaceful haven with beautiful gardens, a tiny chapel, and individual quiet rooms. https://www.peacefulhealingjourney.org/
BARBARA HIGBY 