STILL SUMMER

It's still Summer.

I saw a tree turning yellow a few weeks ago. But it's still Summer!

As long as I can still enjoy the outdoors and the sunshine comfortably, eat ice cream outdoors and wear shorts and sandals, it's still Summer.

When I wrote about Summer sunshine and enjoying my first real week of Summer a month or so ago, life seemed surreal and free. I had survived the grueling years of college, medical school and residency. It was the end of long work weeks, lack of sleep and endless stress. I had reached the light at the end of the tunnel and was "living the life". 

But as Summer went on, it was different than I expected. Life got busier than I had anticipated and my life was still scheduled to the seconds. It was filled with more dark valleys than sunny mountains.  I felt pressure from all directions of life. My future was still up in the air. It was unsettling and it spiraled into an anxiety in a world of feeling like I was not enough.

After struggling with this reality, I decided to set aside pockets of stillness in my nonstop days to allow myself to address the issues. As I look back at my journal this past month, there is a theme of letting go of my fears, trusting God and His good plans for me, and choosing thankfulness in all circumstances. Since embracing these lessons and intentionally applying them to my every day, I've had more sunny days and true joy.

There is still a lot of work to be done before these lessons become ingrained in my life like breathing. But God is so gracious and truly Jehovah-Jireh, my Provider. Praying that stillness becomes a habit.

One pocket of stillness was this past weekend. So thankful I got to spend a slow(ish) weekend with my family. (Read this Instagram post for the drama of how it all started.) It forced me to take the time to rest and limit my never-ending to-do lists. And I always cherish time with my family since we are now spread across the country. My sister and I visited a beautiful gardening shop since we love admiring pretty plants and flowers. It was a sweet pocket of stillness I got to share with her!

Here's to a still summer and a still life. How do you fit stillness in your life?