Grace in the Heat of Summer: A Mother’s Reflection on a Sweltering Summer Day

It’s the kind of day where the air sticks to your skin and the noise never quite settles…..children’s laughter, the clatter of flip-flops on the kitchen floor, the hum of the A/C that’s working just as hard as I am to keep things calm.

In my early adult years, summer used to mean rest and relaxation even when my schedule was full. Now, as a mother, it means EVERYTHING all at once. Schedules fly out the window and every room in the house is lived in deeply. The fridge is always open, the laundry pile is always full and the quiet I once craved seems like a memory from another life.

Today, as the humidity clung to every corner of life and the kids clamored for popsicles before breakfast, I found myself asking:

Where is the clarity in all of this?

Where is the order? The peace? The holiness?

And yet God gently reminds me clarity isn’t always neat and Peace isn’t always quiet. Sometimes, it looks like a child wrapped in a towel with sun kissed cheeks, whispering “thank you” for a snack.

Sometimes, it’s the unexpected stillness of a late afternoon nap while the soothing sound of the ceiling fan whispers overhead. Sometimes, it’s found in the tiny, tired prayer recited at the kitchen sink:

“Lord, help me love well today even when I’m melting away, both physically and emotionally.”

I don’t have all the answers. But I know that clarity often comes when I stop striving for perfection and start inviting Christ into the chaos. Into the noise. Into the heat. Because even in this (especially in this) He is ALWAYS near.

To every mother reading this who’s knee deep in summer schedules, sunscreen, sand, and snack crumbs: You’re not alone. This summer might not look serene, but it is still sacred.

One grace filled moment at a time.

God Bless,

Sarah Ackbarali, CMO

The Modern Apostle LLC