The Summer Blessing

A Summer Examen of Consolation and one desolation and a new poem, "Ode to the Summer"

For many reasons, I’m excited to let you “in” on what I’ve been thinking about this week. I’ve been looking back at these amazing summer months here in our mountain home and also looking in—reflecting on all the many ways I’ve experienced a soul satisfaction—a soul consolation. Another poem, also was birthed that I’ll add at the end. Let me explain.

In the 16^th century, a Spanish soldier named, Ignatius of Loyola, was recovering from a cannon ball injury to his leg. Ignatious did more than recover physically from his wounds. He found his heart. He discovered an inner life—his soul which not only reivived him, but gave him purpose and renewal for the rest of his life. Now, we see that his recovering was actually the formation of the Soceity of Jesus—a band of brothers whose purpose became to educate and disciple people in the ways of God.

While recovering, Ignatius devised a way for men and women to look back; look in and look forward called “The Daily Examen.”  The Daily Examen is a invitation to consider a span of time in two different categories of thought and reflection. Ignatius wisely told his companions that the daily Examen had the power to change a person—because in doing the Examen, people become more reflective; more prayerful and more attentive to their inner life. I think this is true and it is certainly my experience.

In the Daily Examen, we’re encouraged to think through two different and distinct ways of the inner life. He called these inner movements: consolation and desolation.  Ignatius saw these two inner movements as the portals to the soul.

Here are the two ways of reflecting using the Daily Examen:

What brought you consolation—life, joy, happiness and satisfaction.

What brought you desolation—anxiety, worry, distress and self-preoccupation.

I’ve written “The Great Annual Examen”, downloaded thousands of times, which is used in the ending of a current year and in anticipation of the coming new year. The global use of this exercise, all based on the work of Ignatius of Loyola, has been far reaching and widespread throughout the English speaking world.

But, this year, I sat with the questions  of consolation and desolation for an evening as I felt the gravitational pull of the summer landing and coming to a screeching halt. Summer is ending, in case you didn’t know. The leaves in the mountains are already turning. The green is not as emerald. In my yard, the Red Bark Maple is turning an early gold. This coming week, we will see a significant dip in the temperatures. Change is coming.  With the change—comes a time to look back and look in as well as look forward.

This is the signal to reflect on the beautiful and brutal of the summer months.

Here’s a way that Gwen and I worked through our layers of thought while enjoying, one last Tomato Sandwich on our porch while sitting in rocking chairs, enjoying the summer breeze. We did this and I would encourage you to take an hour today or sometime this coming week—before September 1, to try the Summer Examine.

Please feel free to use this… print it out and sit with it before you do anything. Take a long pause. Breath. Inhale and exhale and let the reality of the closing of the summer.

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The Summer Examen

• What brought life and consolation (joy, happiness, peace, serenity and satisfaction) to me in the past few months of summer?

• What brought desolation (death, draining and despair and self preoccupation to me )in the past few months of summer?

• For what part of my summer am I most proudly grateful?

• What was the truly beautiful and lasting memory I will take with me into the fall?

• What was the brutal reality of a wake-up call or news, event or persons that robbed me of what I wanted and needed this summer?

• What am I hoping for in this next season of fall?

• What four single words best express my desire for this next season?

I want ________

I desire________

I long for _______

I yearn for________.

• How can I put my collective thoughts into a few sentences that captures both the beautiful and the brutal: 

I wrote what I call, “An Ode to the Summer” this week. It’s my poem I’m sharing this week on Substack. In the poem, it’s my own way of expressing that I both want and need to remember about this remarkable summer. I took the summer off. I left my work; informed my people I work with and took on no assignments. I was off—free and clear and I’m so, so, so, glad I was. There would be no poem called, “Ode to Summer” unless I had tasted the long season of doing nothing and having to do nothing.

Here’s my poem. It’s for the folks who join my work as “paid subsriber.” I’m sharing the poems to my supporting friends in this way because in a deeper way, they have supported me. You can become a “paid subscriber” by either chosing to support this work or if you can’t afford to support my work now, you can simply ask Pam Burton at info@pottersinn.com and she’ll sign you up—no questions asked!

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Bennett and I enjoyed tending to the zinnias as Gwen took this picture of his today!