From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation’s revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaimingIndescribable, uncontainable
You placed the stars in the sky
And You know them by name
You are amazing, God.~ songwriter Laura Story
If the seasons evoke senses, what sense does summer best serve?
Without quibbling with the songwriter about using the word “indescribable” to describe God in a praise song, I got to wondering about that third line when I heard “Indescribable” at church yesterday: “From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring.”
If autumn’s palate of orange pumpkins, red leaves and golden waves of grain under a harvest moon are a treat to our sense of sight, and spring’s lilacs and freshly cut grass and rain-drenched landscapes cater to our sense of smell, what senses are served by summer and winter?
As a native Minnesotan, I would choose the sense of touch for winter. It’s a wake-up call to our skin when the cold air freezes one’s nose hairs and numbs one’s fingertips. Never does a hot drink feel so good to one’s hands and mouth as it does on a cold winter evening. Snuggling under Grandma’s quilts is a luxury when the thermometer reads sub-zero.
I struggle with assigning a sense to summer. Does summer best minister to our sense of taste when we enjoy sweet and creamy ice cream cones and juicy fresh tomatoes and buttery sweet corn? Or is it our sense of hearing that summer amplifies? Is it a coo of a mourning dove, the wind rustling the leaves or the laughter of children wafting through the neighborhood that say “summer” to you?
Tomorrow is the first day of summer and the perfect opportunity to ponder how you will best experience it. As any good Minnesotan knows, summer is fleeting and we must appreciate every moment. What will you savor?
I savor those early summer mornings of hot days when the air is still cool but holds the promise of warmth to come. It is still a little dewy and everything is poised to soak in the heat.
I love this song and I love this post!!!!! Here in Texas, we are already in 100 degreee weather with no relief in site. I am used to this and have always loved summer,…(there’s air conditioning every where we go anyway!) I savor the evenings starting around 7:00 when it starts cooling off a little and I can sit on the patio with a glass of wine. I am usually grilling out our dinner as well. Totally love these lazy days where it doesn’t matter the exact time we eat or when anyone goes to bed!
Wine and grilled meat? Sounds like summer is to savor!