Before Summer Slips Away

[Note: Today’s guest blogger is Rev. Alvin Simpson, the Assistant Music Director of Mass Choir at Spiritus. We’re grateful for all of the love and energy that Alvin brings to our liturgies each week and appreciate this blog contribution as well. In today’s blog, he not only provides a reflection but he offers a soundtrack as well!]

Can you believe it’s already August?

It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the arrival of warmer weather after another long Rochester winter. Now, summer is quietly making its way toward the finish line. Before we know it, the festivals will wind down, children will be heading back to school, pumpkin spice will make its annual return, and we’ll be reaching for sweaters as crisp autumn mornings replace these warm summer evenings.

There is something about August that reminds us how quickly time passes.

We begin counting down the last beach days, the last family cookouts, the last vacations, the last evenings when the sun doesn’t seem to want to set. We try to squeeze every bit of summer into the few weeks that remain.

And while there’s nothing wrong with making memories, perhaps there is another countdown we should be paying attention to.

How much time have we intentionally spent with God this summer?

We’ve made time for festivals, concerts, baseball games, backyard gatherings, road trips, and afternoons by the lake. We’ve filled our calendars with good things. But have we also made room for quiet moments with the One who gives meaning to every season?

Life has a way of becoming noisy.

Even during the happiest months of the year, many of us carry burdens that no one else can see. Sunshine doesn’t always remove anxiety. A vacation doesn’t always heal grief. Being surrounded by people doesn’t always quiet the loneliness in our hearts.

That is why Scripture continually reminds us of the importance of solitude with God.

Throughout the Bible, whenever life became overwhelming, God’s people sought quiet places to encounter the Lord.

Jesus Himself modeled this rhythm.

Before making important decisions, after long days of ministry, following heartbreaking news, and even before the cross, Jesus intentionally withdrew to lonely places to pray. In the silence, He found communion with the Father. In stillness, He found strength for what lay ahead.

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” — Luke 5:16

Notice that Scripture says He often withdrew. Solitude wasn’t an occasional luxury; it was a regular spiritual practice.

Perhaps that is God’s invitation for each of us before this summer comes to an end.

As we savor these remaining weeks of sunshine, don’t simply count down the days until fall. Count the moments you’ve spent resting in God’s presence. Protect a few quiet minutes in the morning before the day begins. Take a prayer walk through your neighborhood. Sit beneath a tree. Watch the sunset without your phone in your hand. Open your Bible. Listen more than you speak.

The festivals will end.

The vacations will become memories.

The gardens will fade.

The leaves will change.

But the God who has carried us through every season will remain.

Maybe the greatest thing we can do before summer slips away isn’t checking one more event off our calendar.

Maybe it’s simply spending a little more time alone with God.

As you find a quiet place this week, consider letting one of these songs accompany your prayer time. Sometimes God speaks most clearly not through the noise of our schedules, but through the stillness of worship and the quiet whisper of the Spirit.

1. “Just Be Held” – Casting Crowns
2. “Goodness of God” – CeCe Winans
3. “Take Me to the King” – Tamela Mann
4. “Promises” – Maverick City Music
5. “Through It All” – Andraé Crouch