August Afternoons

Do you suppose that Jesus and the disciples and his many followers ever sat down under a fig tree in the midst of an August heat wave and said, “Jesus – don’t you just love August afternoons?” They really are perfect. The feverish work of June and July is past. The grass isn’t growing as fast. The flowers are fulsome and mellow. The vegetables are plentiful. Driving by a corn field can make you heart sing and don’t get me started on how beautiful the rows of apple trees are as their fruit glows and ripens in the afternoon sun. In June we are busy making plans. In July we are working hard to squeeze everything in. But August, August reminds us that there is still this month of summer and we can just relax into it. And, despite the fact that when I picked up my mail today there was an envelope of Christmas cards as one of the giveaways from the charities that come asking for money, I am not going to get caught up in pushing these days by faster than they deserve.

August is the month for reading in the hammock, watching the sun set, glorying in the full moon, and searching for the perfect peach and juiciest tomato. August is corn on the cob and sausage from the barbecue it is for listening to the children talk about their week at camp or their overnight canoe trip.

I think God gave us August so that we would slow down a bit and sink into the beauty of this creation and all its benefits. The long afternoon shadows and the dew soaked mornings that make us glad to be alive.

Take a deep breath. Sigh a bit. Listen to the loons on the lake or the squeals of laughter in the park. Say, “Thank you God, for August.”