The Sounds of Summer: Weekly Message for 06/27/2023

Dear Friends,

Birds singing and insects humming: the sounds of summer surround us. It seems that nature is doing its best to glorify God. After my friend’s dog passed away recently, a tough loss as the pet had largely belonged to her late husband, a priest friend told her, “He reached his created limit glorifying God, bringing joy to us humans for the years he was with us.” This was quite consoling to her, and it so clearly stated the mission of a beloved pet. In the midst of a summer full of life, it was a good reminder to value each moment and to rejoice in a creature who had spent his life glorifying God.

I wish it were that simple for me, and at the same time I remind myself that it is that simple. I give glory to God by loving and serving Him. My very existence, just by being, glorifies Him if I want it to. As a human person I have the extra step, the extra privilege, of willing to glorify God, and this is where it seems many of us humans can get stuck.

Questions come up: “Do I really want to do this?” “Is it worth it?” “Does God really care if I …?” Yet every time I choose God’s glory, it gives me life. It’s like the sound of summer humming through my soul. The thought that I was made for this rings in my mind. My heart is full with peace and joy.

As summer rolls on, I hope that each of us can spend some time rejoicing in God’s creation, simply glorifying Him by being, and that each of us takes full advantage of our privilege of willing to glorify Him ourselves.

Count on my prayers!

Nicole Buchholz