When we hear the term “Dog Days of Summer,” most of us think of the hottest, driest part of the year. Here in Texas, we have experienced that in abundance this year. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, we have now exceeded fifty days of triple-digit weather with more to come. Even so, last week we received a foretaste of God’s promise of rain in the form of the first measurable rainfall in the garden since June. Our faith rain gauge collected a full half-inch last weekend, and all the plants responded with a hearty “amen” and a burst of new growth. It’s amazing what a difference one good rain shower can make in the lives of plants and people. As for the dog days of summer, that term actually refers to the reappearance of the Dog Star, Sirius, in the night sky. Let me share with you what I read last week on Space.com: “So regardless of how hot your local weather is, or has been, this appearance of Sirius–a star we most associate with the winter season–now rising just ahead of the sun, is a subtle reminder that the hottest part of the year is now behind us and a promise that a change toward cooler weather is only weeks away.”
And to that I believe we can all say, “Amen!”
