Yes, I know the newsletter is late this month, and I know that is exactly how I started last month’s too. This time though, it is not intentional. Life happens, and sometimes we just have to reprioritize and adjust in response to life circumstances. Nobody expected my uncle to get sick and suddenly pass away, but here we are adjusting to a new normal. Part of my adjusting to be there for my family is this note being a few days late and that is okay. This all got me to thinking, “As we move into summer, what adjustments do we need to make in our lives to thrive?”
As far as I know, there are 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 52 weeks in a year, and we get a bonus day only once every 4 years. The realities of paying rent, feeding and clothing our families, and paying for transportation do dictate to us how a good portion of our time is spent. What is left is something we like to call “free time.” I am not sure this is an accurate descriptor with so many other things in our lives that demand our time and attention, but I am hopeful that each of us carves out some time for ourselves daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. It is not being selfish. It is taking care of ourselves, and it is something God tells us to do (Exodus 20:8-11).
With summer comes longer days and hotter temperatures. Our rhythms change with the seasons as we adjust our activities to take advantage of the extra daylight or to avoid the extreme temperatures. Summer often times also means a change in our school or professional lives as we go on break, vacation, or adjust to new summer operating hours. This can also be a good time for us to make adjustments in how we spend our free time. What hobby have you been wanting to try or spend more time doing? What park do you want to go visit this summer? Who do you need to make time to see? What cause or issue are you passionate about that would benefit from you volunteering some of your time? How are you making time to spend with God?
Find time this summer to make the adjustments you need to make for your well being. God does not want us to just live. God wants us to have abundant life and by this Jesus was not talking about an abundance of things (John 10:10b). Jesus wants us thriving physically, spiritually, and mentally; and he knows if we are attentive to the things we can control in our lives our chances of thriving are better. Life is going to continue to be challenging if not downright hard, and life is going to surprise us and force us to make adjustments periodically. If we make the adjustments we need to make in how we spend our time now that we might thrive, then we are better equipped when life requires us to make changes due to an unexpected event. My prayer for all of us is that may we all stop just living and start thriving and being the people God is calling us to be!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Bryan