For God ordered the seasons and the boundaries of their habitation. – Acts 17:26b (as adapted in A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year A)
Many people from my church have set the intention for the blessing of a “soft summer” this year. So have I.
In soft summer, my spirit is open. Not wide open, there are boundaries. But I make the clear choice that I will open myself to things more than I’m wont to do.
In soft summer, joy a must. The question, “Will this bring joy?” becomes a key component in my decision-making matrix. And that joy leads to seeking and maintaining meaningful connections – with others, and especially with God. Soft living includes listening for and to God as a way of life – in the good times and the rough spots, too.
Living softly, you take your mistakes, lick their wounds as necessary and then: learn. Because soft living means being gentle with yourself and with others. Living softly can eventually bring you to the place, in conflict, to see that the other is “doing as much as they can with what they have at the time.” They can say that about themselves as well. This doesn’t mean that living softly dismisses accountability; it just holds compassion in the process.
Living softly embraces tenderness – the opposite of edgy – which means that you trust God, and you trust the people who have earned it. And you trust yourself.
In soft living, we accept fluidity. We move with the Spirit God has sent us.
Are you interested in living softly, together?
Prayer
God, help me to embrace my own tenderness. Make this a soft summer. I’m ready to elevate. Amen.
