5J: When The Dog Days Bite

Another day done. Monday. The work of it tucked away. An evening breeze blows through our house and there is peace.

Mondays arrive a bit too loudly don't you agree?

Get up. Take a shower. Hair. Get dressed. Pack a lunch. Eat breakfast. Go and go and go.

But there is no rush here. Not right now. A night lies ahead and I have found a still quiet place.

Today filled out. The stress of work still lingers in my shoulders. My body feels heavy from my morning workout. All day my mind was fighting me, wanting to wander back, to go to a different place but I didn't give in, I forced myself to focus, to get it done and duty and I made it through the day.

But what is it? Is it the way the day feels? Is it the smell the wind carries?

Chesley Lake has been nudging me all day, like a tap on the shoulder, or the feel of someone approaching from behind.

Chesley Lake meant summer. We swam, we golfed, we played tag on the playground, we biked and paddled, rowed, swam, jumped, dried out on towels, played in the sand, sat around campfires and looked up at more stars then I have ever seen. There was that feel of a towel around you when you came shivering out of the water and the feel of a sweatshirt on sunburnt skin when the night got dark and chilly. There were night walks on gravel paths with only a beam from a flashlight to guide, hoping the rustle we heard wasn't a skunk or something even more terrifying. There was the sound of motor boats on the lake, the squeaking of swings in motion and finally Sunday would arrive and we'd trade in our swimsuits and shorts for our Sunday skirt. We would head to the chapel where we would offer up our part to the four-part harmony that would lift us all up, above and beyond the small white chapel surrounded by trees.

They say we are in the 'dog days' of summer. I've never been sure what that means but I think today my soul was longing for a lazy day at the lake, a day untouched by time and duty. I craved a book, a beach towel, a breeze and a moment to take in the stars simply to remind myself of my place, my significance and to be nudged toward gratitude, hope and promise.

Speak to me Lord. Whisper summer secrets in my ear. Bring the calm of waves splashing on the shore amidst the ocean of corn fields that currently surround me. Hear the prayers I'm too shy to say out loud, those things I only wish for under a starry sky. Make me aware of your presence and soothe me like a cool breeze on a summer afternoon even when I'm tucked into my office space. I need to soak up these 'dog days', to fall back into them as I would into a lounge chair under a shady tree on a carpet of green. Remind me of what is good and right and beautiful as I catch glimpses of the beauty of the yellow, orange and burgundy day-lilies are all around me. Right here. Right now.

Work waits for me tomorrow but may I feel untouched by stress, duty and boredom. Instead may I enjoy the people I'm blessed to spend my days with, the work you've given my hands to do, and the tasks in front of me as I would an afternoon bike ride down a corridor of swaying trees. May I find sun sparkles on water even in this place. May I hear children laughing and playing and feel encouraged.

May I find time for the feel of the sun on my skin and may it energize for good, and kind, and patient and loving. May I dive deep into these days and come up feeling refreshed and exhilarated.