Most of us are dealing with summer weirdness due to coronavirus. Routines being sort of normal but not really. Some things seem back — others not. And there is this sense of hovering. Waiting for regular life to begin again. Maybe it can be described as being put on an extended hold.

All the more reason to know where personal peace is found — and to go there. This is very individual. I often head for my glider bench beneath the cherry trees. I can listen to the birds flit about pecking at the ripening clusters of shiny red fruit overhead.

The sun dapples the leaves — the breeze rustles the tall grasses. Today a hawk flew low above the trees. It’s crucial to notice these things. Recently I remarked to a visiting relative that when we quit noticing, we quit noticing God.

She was up from the Sacramento area in California. We were able to take her family boating on Priest Lake. There’s nothing more relaxing than gliding through the Thorofare. We beached at the Upper Lake and ate our picnic on the sand. She and my cousin’s son have three young children. You could just see this hard working couple shedding life’s stresses.

One day my husband Terry and his friend from high school headed out fishing — but the wind blew them off the lake. They ended up spending the afternoon target shooting instead — had the time of their life — and forgot they weren’t still back in the Class of ‘69. They were sixty-nine!

Seeking peace — unwinding--finding that sweet spot. These places of refuge are so needed in uncertain times.

They provide hope and strength. Reassurance that life is still good. That I can manage it.

I can lose myself in the worry and the wondering. But taking time apart to renew and refresh — even for just a moment — or as often as I can — is like rolling out a welcome mat at my own feet.

For me the Word of God offers great peace. I found a “sweet spot” back in May--”Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance.” Continually — that’s the word I chose for 2020. Not knowing I would continually need it. This has been a year for continually seeking peace.

Summer is unfolding. Let it show its peace in all the right places.