Stargazing at night. Long walks on the beach. Reading a book
together outside the coffee shop. Summertime
is a great time to be in love. Even if you’re flying solo this summer, it’s a
great time to be in love with life. There’s
a breeze ruffling my hair today as I sip my iced-tea-and-blueberry-juice (think
Arnold Palmer wannabe) on the deck with a stack of books and my dog at my feet.
I’m reminded of a few of the many reasons I love this season. A voicemail from a friend rings on my phone. A text from my boyfriend makes me smile. I pick up one of my books and glance down at the Bible lying under it. And I’m reminded that in the midst of summer love and lazy days and adventures with friends…there’s something--Someone--more important than all of these.
That Someone should be getting the firstfruits of my time and attention this summer, not the leftovers.It’s so easy for me to focus on MY fun memory-making, MY trips with friends, MY relaxation. Routine often slips by the wayside as spontaneous adventures pop up in the summertime…and sometimes my scheduled prayer time with the Lord slips away, too.
He is the Alpha and the Omega, but am I giving Him the beginning and the end of each summer day--and all that happens in between? More than that, He is my Friend. My Best Friend.
The One who means more to me than any friend or boyfriend ever could.
So why
do I let other things come before Him?
Do you struggle with this, too? Here are some ideas to keep your spiritual growth from taking a vacation this summer:
- Begin your day with
prayer. Set your alarm a half-hour to an hour earlier (or at all, for
those of you who don’t even use one in the summer!) to make the time to meet
with our Lord. He always, always shows up when we invite Him.
- Include Him in your
summer activities. Pray while you walk or jog. Listen to a rosary CD or a Catholic
educational CD while you drive. Talk to the Lord and His Mother while you relax
on the deck in the evening. Praise our Father for the warmth and beauty and joy
of these summer days.
- Ask our Mother Mary to
help you in your clothing choices on those really hot
days! Use some of Raewyn’s cute ideas on Mondays for fashion. Remember, modest
is hottest!
- Pick out a Catholic book
or devotional (or perhaps the Bible or the Catechism!) to read this summer.
Read it outside on the grass or under your favorite tree in the park…you’ll be
growing like the weeds in my garden before you know it!
- Let the beauty of nature
direct your thoughts to the Creator (Romans 1:20). The
stars on summer nights (Isaiah 40:26). The sun sparkling on the water. The
streaks of color in the sunset. In all that He has made we see reflections of
His power and glory, His gentleness and beauty, His peace. Praise Him for that!
- Pray with your friends. Before
a summer outing or party, begin the time with prayer, perhaps even intercessory
prayer as a group with each person taking a turn. If you are in a relationship,
it’s a great idea to end your date with a rosary or chaplet as you take an
evening walk.
Sweet summertime. As we bask in the sunshine, let’s not forget that the beauty of the seasons should always point us to the Maker of them. Let’s keep Him first in our lives as we enjoy His abundant gifts of the summer.
Wait! Don’t leave yet! One more thought… What if this summer is one of loneliness, boredom, hardship, or disappointment? (I know. I’ve had those seasons, too.) My heart goes out to you if this season is one of sunshine only on the outside but struggle on the inside. I invite you to offer it to the Lord, placing it on the altar, especially during the time of Consecration at Mass. I know He will use it not only for your good and your growth, but He will walk beside you through this season with comfort, grace, and strength. If we at CYW can pray for you personally, please email us or catch us on Facebook.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
–Eccleasiates 3:1
Thank you for this post. I'm sitting here just feeling grumpy. Have felt like this all week. I needed to hear your words. Will be offering it up when I go to Mass in the morning.
ReplyDeleteLaura, this is such a lovely and helpful post. I'm following a devotional called "Living a Surrendered Life" and this week's focus has been on prayer (which I'm *not* the best at implementing in my daily life). So this is perfect timing! I've made an effort to talk to God like I would with a friend on my evening walks...or throw up a "Lord-I'm-really-upset-and-don't-want-to-pray-right-now-but-I'm-trying!" And thanks for the shout out!
ReplyDeleteChip-- thanks for your comment! I thought of you and prayed for you at Mass yesterday evening. Don't forget He loves you even (especially?) when you're grumpy. :)
ReplyDeleteRaewyn-- yes! I wanted it to be a shout-out AND link...but the computer was NOT cooperating when I tried posting and the paragraph alignment kept messing up so I finally gave up. Boo. :(
Aww, that's okay, Lauren - sweet of you to try! And I hear you...Blogger/computers can be headache-inducing. :P
ReplyDeleteWow! That's a great post, and very well written. It really touched my heart. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteLovely, lovely post :) And I definitely know about the whole bad seasons thing..I had one of those during the Spring. When everything else was coming into bloom, I wasn't. I'm so thankful God has given me this summer though, and I treasure my moments with Him (even though I'm still trying to make *more* of those moments!)
ReplyDelete