Good morning…
Yesterday in Atlanta, Georgia, the sun rose at 6:27 a.m. It was Sunday, June 21st, marking the summer solstice, bringing the longest day and shortest night of the year to the Northern Hemisphere, ushering in the first official day of summer. We were treated to 14 hours and 24 minutes of total daylight, before the sun set at 8:51 pm.
Walking with our puppy Cami in the morning before church, I was stunned by the beauty of one breathtaking flower. Then at night, as we walked beneath the setting sun, I returned to the gorgeous specimen, ripe with color, bursting with fullness. Taking a few photos, I noticed that the blooms on the same plant were in different stages of life. One large bud was still unfurling. A few others were past their prime, drooping toward death.
The days of spring have drooped to death while this new budding season is just unfurling. I wonder what unique beauty this summer will hold, as it ripens into its own fragile fullness.
What a gift to take time to marvel at the Creator of every living thing. Day and night alike belong to you; you made the starlight and the sun. All nature is within your hands; you make the summer and the winter too (Psalm 74:16-18, TLB).
In response to the One who gently holds every season, might we live each day in attentive awe?
…Sue…
