I admit it. I hate summer. It’s too hot. If your favorite season is summer, well, perhaps this column will help you during your least favorite season or when doing a task that you not love. So, I’ve said it. I hate summer. Hating something that one cannot reasonably change (I could be a reverse snowbird if I could afford it) only creates churning feelings in one’s mind and heart. For this column I decided that I would put on my God Glasses and look for all the things I like about summer. What blessings has God given me that come during the summer? (I have been keeping my God Glasses on for several weeks now.)

My car runs well (thanks, Rico) and my car’s air conditioning is nice and cool. Butterflies. Being invited to our friends house on Flathead Lake for the weekend. Fresh fruit, especially Ranier cherries, watermelon, berries. Ripening peaches. Flowers. Walking on the 24th Street Trail from our house. The Farmer’s Market. Wearing my favorite Hawaiian shirts. The library’s Adult Summer Reading Program. BLTs with fresh tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes. Eating popsicles on the deck in the early evening. The tinkling tune of the ice cream truck. Orange-purple sunsets. Not wondering if there will be ice on Lookout Pass. Osprey games. The Calligraphers Guild’s July potluck. These are things I like a lot.

You have your own summer blessings so feel free to insert them here. What do God Glasses do for me? They show me the blessings God has given me. Recognizing these blessings may not make me love summer but it takes away the grinding bad feelings of spending three months of the year hating summer. Being aware of my blessings opens my eyes to the wonders around me. If I feel grumpy, I see things through Grumpy Glasses. If I feel wonder, I see my life God’s way, through God Glasses.

The Apostle Paul had God Glasses, too. He said, “Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18).” A member of a church I pastored once asked me, “Does all mean all?” Yes, it does. The way to be thankful for the things that seem hard, or painful or yucky is put on your God Glasses. See the blessings God is giving you and give God thanks. Put on your God glasses repeatedly and watch your troubles disappear!

– Rev. Christine Prescott –