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I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of the heat. My plants are dying. My cats scream at me to go out on the balcony, but it’s way too hot to prop the door open for them. I want to go on walks, but I’m so sick of sweating by the end of the day that it’s just easier to stay in my air conditioned home. All of my various health struggles are worse in the heat. It feels harder to move and think and be a human when I’m sticky and disgusting and hot. And everyone (including me) seems to be more on edge. I’m grateful to live on the island where we at least get a breeze most of the time, but it’s still just so hot.

However, I don’t want to be grumpy and resentful all the time. Because we still have at least a couple months of this heat. I came across a poem about July on social media the other day. It goes like this: 

Nobody writes about July maybe because
this heat is hard to romanticize. 
It’s not tender like springtime or crisp like fall air. 
It presses in and sticks to your skin. 

Maybe July isn’t meant to be written about. 
Maybe it’s meant to be felt deeply. 
But I promise that there’s magic here
if you take the time to look closely.

-Lyla Wren

Where do you find magic in July? Maybe it’s a dip in the ocean or a pool. Maybe it’s the first sip of a cold drink when you really need it. Maybe it’s a slower pace or extra family time or a fun vacation. Maybe it’s longer days and more daylight in the evenings. Maybe it’s that special kind of book that qualifies as a “beach read.” Whatever it is for you, I hope you can find some special summer magic this week. 

-Pastor Julia