The Dog Days of Summer

These days in August are often called “the Dog Days of Summer.”  The heat that often accompanies them, as well as the slow pace, can have an effect on us.

While these days may provide a time for us to relax, take a vacation, be with family and friends, etc., they can also be a dangerous time for us in some ways.  As we enjoy our relaxation, we can also be subject to temptations to use that extra time in negative and destructive ways.  We can return to bad behaviors because we have “nothing else to do.”  We can succumb to what we view as boredom by filling those hours with things that can be harmful both to our bodies and our spirits.

What is the solution?  Is it simply to work furiously so that we don’t have any time to crash and burn?  Absolutely not.  God created us with a need for rest and relaxation.  That is the whole purpose of the Sabbath.  The key is finding things to fill that time that help us to be truly refreshed.

Is there a hobby you’ve been dying to pick up or get back into?  Are there friends or family you want to reconnect with?  A book you want to read?  All those things can fill our time and give us the satisfaction of having done something positive.  They can also refresh our bodies and our souls.  And, of course, prayer is always a wonderful way to fill the gaps in the day.

Summer seems to go so quickly.  How often we get to the end and wonder where it went.  In these “dog days,” take time to truly rest your body, your mind and your spirit in new and great ways.  It is exactly what God wants for us.