Midsummer

Today is the day that the sun stands still.


The word "solstice" is a latin combination of "sun" and "to stand still".  So from our perspective, on this longest day, the sun stands still in the sky.

Midsummer is thought to be a time of magic, when evil spirits are said to appear.  Oddly, unlike at Hallowe'en, the shops seem to be void of spooky tat with which to decorate our homes.  Perhaps the retail beast should be alerted to this previously untapped "festival" so that they can make the most of a potential money-spinner.   To thwart them (evil spirits, not shops), Pagans often wore protective garlands of herbs and flowers.  Today Beatrice and I made a Midsummer garland.  I do not believe that it has power to stop evil spirits....thanks but if it is all the same I'll continue to trust Jesus for that one....but we thought it would be a fun craft for a rainy day.


How do you fill the longest day?  We met Miriam and Grace at Ikea, where along with the plastic flowers for the wreath, we also purchased toy food.  Then we headed to the Ulster Museum to see dinosaurs, Sleeping Beauty's spinning wheel, the polar bear, the princess dresses, the giant shoe, the dolls house, the sad men on the boat and to paint a still life.  Unfortunately, the tree with the bat and badger inside was shut.  We then shared lunch in the restaurant and reflected on the amazing changes that have taken place on the university campus since one of us frequented it's aged cloisters.  Back at home, the wreath was made and a cafe was opened.  It has been serving felt food and tiny plastic goblets of water all afternoon,  until we decided to pull on our wellies and go splashing about in the not insignificant puddles created by this afternoon's torrential rain.  It occurred to me that this is MIDsummer.  From tomorrow the days are "on the turn" and we begin the lovely downhill to Christmas.  But how can this be the middle of summer....summer hasn't even started?  The summer holidays are yet a week away.  We still have caravanning, Castlewellan and Birthday Parties to attend!  And excuse me if I have missed it, but where is the summer weather?  From my perspective the summer hasn't even begun, let alone reached it's zenith. Which brings me full circle to "perspective"

If today is the longest day, tonight will be the shortest night.  Unless of course you live in the southern hemisphere, in which case the reverse is true.....or if you live on the equator where all days are equal.  And of course, the sun does not stand still today.  It is us who are moving after all.  


A timely reminder that our perspective can create something wholly convincing and yet fundamentally untrue.  So, when my circumstances seem to indicate the contrary, I shall endeavour to ignore my perspective and trust in the unchanging love of God.  But for today, when I can easily thank Him for the longest day filled with His love and kindness to me, when I can easily count my myriad of blessings, I shall enjoy the view from this perspective.