June Ramblings
Looking back at summers past I suspect that all of us can remember times of joy and times of sadness, a trail of beautiful and bittersweet memories. As we relax into the warmth of the sunshine this week there are others who put on facemask to go outside or who are facing the pain of conflict daily. Every year and or every person summer is unique and has unique tales to tell.
Just as every natural summer has a story, so does very spiritual summer. We each walk through the spiritual seasons where autumn is a time of change, winter is a time of barrenness and preparation, spring a time of rebirth. Summer is a time for bearing fruit and embracing the abundant life that surrounds us. It is the time to remember to seize the joy of the season. This is a time to feel the heavenly warmth on our face and revel in the beauty that surrounds us. Relax, have fun, celebrate, and abide in gratitude for the blessings that surround. Fall and winter will come, but don’t let thoughts of the unknown rob you of the joy of the moment.
Summer is a season known for cultivating and bearing good fruit. There is just nothing like a sweet, sun-ripened, summer strawberry (especially if its complemented with a dollop of clotted cream!). Our spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control must also be cultivated and ripened so they can taste even sweeter than the best summer strawberry. There is one sure way to do this, and that is to remember who our spiritual gardener is and to remain in him always.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)