We had thought we could happily say goodbye to July

We had thought we could happily say goodbye to July with its excessive heat and humidity; but it seems like, at least for the first week or so, August is pressing down even harder. To add pain to the sweat, we’ve been told that the much-anticipated peach crop will be poor this year because of, ironically, a late spring freeze. The weather can be interesting, but not always cooperative. In the meantime, we hope everyone has some type of air conditioning. And an element of optimism that autumn will soon be here.
Mid-summer is a time of slowing down. School’s out, vacations on, daylight lingers, there’s outdoor fun. Besides, sometimes it’s just too hot to move any faster, anyway.
Some things never change, however. When we tune in to the evening news, the bad attitudes of too many seem to have been, if anything, exacerbated by the heat. Crime continues to thrive, and makes us a little uneasy. The political polarization of the populace goes on, and irritates us. Tragedies abound and are sad to hear about, and discourage us. If the heat doesn’t depress you, the news will. The poet, Edwin Arlington Robinson, once wrote,

The world has still much good,
But much less good than ill,
And while the sun and moon endure
Luck’s a chance, but trouble’s sure…

What an outlook! It seems there has never been a more needful time to count our blessings. Despite seemingly being surrounded by negatives, we need to call a time-out and look around us and within us. For just about all of us, the basic needs – food, clothing and shelter – have been abundantly supplied. In addition, how many folks do you know who don’t also have things they want: a cell phone…a computer…a car…dollars in their pocket… How many of us have also had heaped on, just for added blessings: dear friends…a tree and flowers within view…varying degrees of good health, and more? All this plus, if we accept and trust Him– the most wonderful blessing of all, a loving God, Who grants us a future that is filled with a reassuring hope, and Who holds our hand tight when the path gets rough. And what’s more, gives us a guidebook to Life, the Holy Bible, good for any circumstance and handy wherever we are.
We live in a world that is certainly not perfect – not even the weather. But when we count up our blessings, when we realize how comfortable and blessed we are, we need to take some of our precious time and say “Thanks” to the Source of all that we enjoy – our holy, sustaining, compassionate and generous God of the Universe.      Viginia                                                                                   

“For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:38-39