I just recently returned from a week at Camp Calumet, our Lutheran camp in New Hampshire. I love falling asleep outdoors in a tent. As I snuggle in my sleeping bag, I listen to the sounds outside my vacation “home.” A rustle in the woods is probably the chipmunk I saw earlier in the day. The buzz of those biting insects doesn’t bother me a bit as the screens in the tent keep them outside. The wonderful smell of my neighbor’s campfire fills the air. I can hear mothers quietly reading bedtime stories to their children. Even on a rainy night, the cadence of raindrops on the roof of the tent is like a mantra. And at Calumet, there is always the predictable sound of the whippoorwills calling to one another from their perch in the trees. Evening prayers of thanksgiving are easy to recite as there is so much for which to be thankful in God’s great outdoors. It doesn’t take long for the crisp night air to lull me into a sound night of sleep.

What are you thankful for this summer? Just living in this part of Maine is such a blessing. Take time to notice God’s beautiful creation, which is all around us. Then say a prayer of thanksgiving to the one who made it all. And be sure to remember God’s command to take care of this earth and all that is in it.

With a grateful heart, Karen