Embracing August

I walked outside after dinner and saw the remnants of a few storm clouds off in the distance. The tops were white, but the outer edges of the clouds were rimmed with pink and coral and golden light while the underneath side was giving way to the blue gray shadows. The air hit me. It looked like it should be a pleasant summer evening to take a stroll in, but the sticky air reminded me that I no longer live in a climate where cooling evening breezes gently lilt across your face. Instead I was instantly reminded that I live in the South. The South--where summer is longer, hotter and stickier than I prefer. Oh how I hate this time of year. Yes. Hate. I'm always counting the days until the first strong cold front comes to our area and we finally get some relief from the sultry days of summer.

But this time it dawned on me that I have spent so many years just trying to get through this time of year, that I have forgotten to enjoy August. If you're like me, waiting with bated breath until the humidity drops and the cool air starts pressing the hot out, August--and even September go on for far too long. Now I know some of you love the long hot summers--more power to you--but I've always had a hard time adjusting to life in the deep, hot, humid south. I miss the cool evenings of Colorado and being able to sleep with my windows open. If you know me well at all, I've complained-- A LOT! And yet...

August offers beauty.

It's an exciting time of year, where I am reminded that I need to take advantage of the days before school starts and the busyness starts to take over. It's a time of planning for the upcoming school year, thinking about the holidays and finishing the projects that I leave for the summer days. In many ways, it's a refreshing time of year and there is a newness that always accompanies the days of August. There are new schedules, new school supplies, new classes, new activities and the excitement of the newness that accompanies it all. It's a chance to start fresh--to throw off the drudgery of the dog days of summer and look forward with anticipation to next part of the year. It's a reminder that I still have time to tend to my overgrown garden and relax just a bit longer--and that I still have time to reflect and linger over a book, or even catch up on a favorite tv show.

And mostly, it's a reminder that God gave me all of the days of my life to enjoy, to reflect on and to get a deeper glimpse into the beauty, grace and mercy...of Him.

Even in August.

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