Summer Through the Treetops

 There's a small grove of trees in the entrance to Lakefront Park where my son plays soccer on Saturdays. The cool shade they cast reminds me of where I picture picnics in the deep south were held, before air conditioning. Ladies clutched paper fans to combat sweat-soaked corsets and ruffles while fried chicken and watermelon were passed in wicker baskets. 

The next day I squinted as I walked out of the wide brick church in Balsam Lake, Wisconsin. Hot morning sun already poured over the peaks of a row of tall pines bordering the parking lot. I took a deep breath... fresh off of prayer and cabin air. 

And today I gathered my fourth grade class under the shade of big cottonwoods framing the school property. Giggling, we chased each other with dixie cups full of water playing 'Drip, Drip, Splash.'

They say things happen in threes, and my attention has drifted three times in the last few days in the direction of trees. Maybe it's just hot and I'm grateful for shade. Maybe it's a transitional time of year, and I'm clamoring for the presence of stability and physical safety. Or maybe I'm just real boring (If my seventeen year old self knew I was posting about trees...sheesh....)

Yet I can't help but think back to a few years ago. We were knee-deep in the throes of secondary infertility. To calm my impatience and frustration with God's timing to grow our family, I went for a walk in the small woods path in our neighborhood. As I gulped the humid air, I looked up towards the sky. The trees overhead formed a perfect circle around a patch of blue above. And it reminded me of the beauty of hope. Of stopping and listening and waiting for God's perfect timing in all things. 

As we transition to summer schedules, and roles and patterns shift, I will be soaking in conversations with friends- picnicking under the grove at the park. Breathing in rays of sun in God's yard, and giggling with kids in the shade as they revel in the coolness of splashing water. 

Oh Happy Summer.