The Shape of Summer
- Claire Henning
- 3 hours ago
- 1 min read
Summer arrives,
inviting us
to step outside
and notice.
The days lengthen,
reshaping
our routines,
offering time
to wander,
to rest,
to dream.
Some of us will travel
roads and oceans,
drawn to landscapes,
and people
that invite us
to see the world
differently.
Others will stay
where they are,
discovering
that familiar places
have their own
new stories
to tell.
Summer reminds us
that sunshine and storms
often share the same sky.
A peaceful afternoon
can give way to
wind and rain.
Perhaps this is
what summer has
to teach us:
that life unfolds
one moment at a time,
and grace is found
when we meet it
with an open mind
and an open heart.
May we welcome
the quiet work
this season
longs to do
within us.
To rest
without feeling guilty.
To breathe
a little more deeply.
To let go of hurried thoughts
and anxious expectations.
To notice beauty
that asks
for nothing
but our attention.
To listen
before we speak.
To understand
before we judge.
To look up
more often
than we look down.
And when autumn comes,
may we find
that we have not
simply grown older,
but have been shaped
by the quiet gifts
of ordinary days.
May we carry
a quiet spirit,
a grateful heart,
and a deeper awareness
of what God
has been forming in us
all summer long.
Perhaps
this is the shape
of summer:
longer days,
softer hearts,
and lives
renewed
by learning
to notice.
