Today I woke up early before my alarm to a wonderful, long-awaited sound: thunder. It's been a long time since it stormed in Birmingham, and with temperatures above 100 several days in a row, I was ready to welcome the thunderstorm regardless of any sleep deprivation it might cause. Since I grew up in Florida where frequent thunderstorms are almost synonymous with summer, booming thunder and cracks of lightning are two of the quintessential sounds of summer to me. After the storm died down, and I sat listening to the soothing sound of constant rain while I journaled and prayed, a favorite verse came to mind: "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you." (Psalm 116:7) I needed to be reminded of this truth this morning, to be still and renew my mind. Yesterday, the calendar flipped to July which means summer is half over for teachers, and this sent me into momentary panic over all the things I haven't gotten done yet. The truth is time is fleeting, and I probably won't accomplish everything I hope to this summer. Isn't it always that way, though? Whether it's a Saturday or a summer, we never seem to cross everything off on our ambitious to-do lists. So while I'm still praying for motivation and wisdom on how to prioritize, I'm also trying to not feel guilty when things remain undone and to simply enjoy the moments of summer.
When I'm delighting in the present, I hear various sounds of summer: happy shouts and screams from my neighbors and I as we watch Spain win the Euro Cup, all decked out in our España apparel... the refreshing mini-cascade of raspberry lemonade filling a glass... children's excited voices as they pick blueberries at the farm... quality conversations over lunches with friends... laughter while attempting to play tennis...
What are some of your favorite sounds of summer?
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