I have a love/hate relationship with the summer. I love it because it brings a bit more margin in my life. Church expectations and programming slows down so I get a little breathing room before the onslaught of fall comes. On the other hand, I hate the summer because I need routine. My soul flourishes when my calendar is working. Summer is the eight-week period where I feel like I have emotional vertigo—my bearings are all wrong.
However, I have determined to capitalize on my summer by being a bit more intentional with my time. Here are 5 things I’m pressing into for the summer…simply because I can. I would encourage you to do the same.
1. Get in shape. It doesn’t matter if it’s summer, fall or winter—I hate exercising. But with a little bit more time on my hands than normal I have determined to shed the spare tire and get out my running shoes.
2. Read more books. C.S. Lewis had a reading rule of thumb: Read one old, read one new. I adopted this practice about five years ago and I have found it to be invaluable. The guys that lived 200 years ago have a perspective on life and eternity that somehow we have lost in the twitter-sphere. And the modern guys give me fresh language so that it translates to real life.
3. Time out of the pulpit. This happened unexpectedly. I don’t like to be gone from our community more than a week at a time. But this summer has brought unexpected mission trips, conferences, and family outings that kept me away. Our pastors and elders have been so good to give me space to breathe and grow and let our church grow, even without me. You may not be a pastor, but take a day off to pray or play or binge watch Parks and Rec. Rest is intrinsic to our growth.
4. Write and journal more. Not everyone is a writer. I’m not naturally. However, there is something emotional helpful, maybe even cathartic, in putting words to paper (or on a screen). So as I read my bible, old and new books, I have taken a few more minutes than normal to process and see what God teaches me.
5. Family Vacays and Fun. My wife complains that I don’t know how to take a vacation. She’s probably right. I am wound pretty tight. Because she is great at making memories she spurs me on every summer to do better. So we went to the beach and I swam in the pool (some) and read a lot and went to the movies and ate good food. We’ll go to a conference together. Canoeing, white-water rafting and the like is on the docket. The boys in the family will go see some alien movies and eat lots of candy.
Make your list and don’t waste your summer. By the way, go to church. Don’t walk away from gospel community cause the lake is calling. And cook out with some friends. Meet a new neighbor. Light fireworks on the 4th and eat from an ice cream truck.
