Wade in the water. Wade in the water children.

Water is our refreshment in summer. The beach is our delight. Sun showers cause us to marvel at an earth that can shine and sprinkle simultaneously. We are grateful for the molasses slowness of sunny days. We revel in the barbecue sweetness of family reunions. We cherish the cotton candy confectionery of weddings and graduations that allow us to gather once again in person – face to face and heart to heart. In summer, there is space to appreciate and give thanks for a bountiful creation – sweet corn slathered with butter, watermelon juice quenching parched throats, ice-cold jugs of water… Water – the cradle of fishing boats. Water – the stuff of baptisms. Water – the elixir of life. And…there are troubled waters around the globe. Water that overflows the boundaries of the seashore. Water that recedes from once lush lakes, leaving dust and drought and bewildered beasts wondering what went wrong.

God, who loves creation and all the creatures, help us to find our way again to water that refreshes. Water that heals. Water that delights. Show us how to prevent harm and destruction on this your precious planet. Allow all the creatures to once again wade in the water. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.