My Summer Snapshot

I was recently encouraged to give a snapshot of my summer from the beautiful Jen Ferguson over at Finding Heaven Today. I started working on that post a couple of weeks ago after giving it a lot of thought, but in the midst of thinking it through and composing it, our family kind of got a curve ball thrown at us.

Please note, we are all fine and healthy! No need to be concerned. It was just one of those unpleasant trials we are all presented with from time to time. The details aren’t important because I want you to relate with me rather than get caught up on things that have now worked themselves out.

Anyway, after we found ourselves in a fair amount of chaos rather than quiet writing time like I’d planned, all inspiration for writing how refreshing our summer was replaced with anguish. I found myself crying out to God while crying with my husband. I felt the weight of irony that I had just hours before been reflecting on refreshment and what a beautiful thing it was.

I had just pictured these sweet memories we’d made as a family this summer.

I had just been marveling in the lush beauty that still colored our yard after a cool and wet summer.

And just like that I felt myself drowning, completely helpless and praying that misunderstandings could be resolved without devastating results. It was at some point during that very long day that God directed me to what was truly the most refreshing moment of my summer.

I opened my Bible with a prayer that I could find a Psalm that somehow applied to our situation, and the pages fell open to Psalm 31.

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
   let me never be put to shame;
    in your righteousness deliver me!
Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me!
For you are my rock and my fortress;
    and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
    for you are my refuge.
Into your hand I commit my spirit;
    you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

(You can read the Psalm in its entirety here. It’s a rich one, and I highly recommend you do so especially if you’re going through a trying time right now.)

Our summer truly was a refreshing one, and I cherish the sometimes quiet sometimes noisy hours that composed it. However, nothing will compare to the refreshment that comes when God’s Word speaks powerfully, personally, and perfectly to a soul that is sorrowing, if even for a day or two.

We need the hard days as well as the refreshing ones to keep our eyes on our sovereign and loving God. It’s because of this that I can say with assurance that I’m grateful for a summer that can be labeled as refreshing. Each of the circumstances that arose were exactly what we needed to grow. While there were plenty of tough decisions, annoyances, and less-than-perfect days that made up the last few months of our family’s life, they all worked together for good. And it’s the good that we must focus on, for nothing worth anything in life is without flaws.

Linking up with some great ladies who are sharing their summer snapshots over at Finding Heaven.