A Summer Prayer

As Memorial Day weekend approaches and summer weather begins, it's a time to savor the warm days of this season. The following is based on a prayer composed by Ted Loder in his book, My Heart in My Mouth (Innisfree Press, 2000).

Sabbath God,
In this season of warm days and long daylight,
Of cicadas, fireflies and birds singing at first light,
Of flowers bursting with color and grass so full and green,
We are grateful to be alive.

Give us the wisdom to pause from our hectic routines and enjoy
the simple things of this time of year...
To take off shoes and walk barefoot in sand or grass,
To sit outside in the cool of the evening and listen to the
symphony of nature.
To eat watermelon and spit out the seeds,
To swim in pools and oceans,
To play with children and like children.

Let us live easily for a time,
Putting away watches and looking away from clocks,
ignoring all the things that need to be fixed, moved or cleaned.
Let us lose ourselves in the beauty and bounty of
the earth you created.
May this be a time of rest, refreshment and renewal.

And, as we pause to play and rest, let us not forget to enjoy
time with you, Lord.
May we be calm enough and quiet enough to perceive your presence.
Let us not fill all our time with endless activity.
Let us not fill all our silences with noise.
Let us simply be for a while.