Mid-Summer Check Up

I just checked the calendar today and realized that summer is half way over.  How can this be?  Pretty soon, we'll be seeing advertisements for back-to-school clothes.  Kids will leave for college.  Football scrimmages will start.  Vacations will be over.  Yikes!  I have SO many more things I want to do this summer!

It seems as if summer time can be so busy, just like the rest of the year.  Somehow, we've programmed ourselves to do more, achieve more, plan more and supposedly live more...even in the summer!  Yet, so often, we become tired, wear and worn down from the pace of life.  If not careful, we'll lose our joy in our fast-paced noisy culture.

I've recently allowed myself to get way too busy.  I found myself making silly little mistakes.  Forgetting things.  Doing stupid things. I had to take some time to do a quick inventory of my life.  How can I slow down?  Do I need to say "no" more? Am I taking time to enjoy the beauty of summer and do the fun things that pour life into me?  I took some time to recalibrate and make some healthy changes.

How about you?  Look at your calendar for the next few months.  What would you like to make SURE you do for fun?  Family weekend getaway? Trip to the beach? Kayak? Staycation plans? Books you want to read? New hobby? Reconnect with an old friend? Maybe these questions will job your memory for some things you need to plan for.

I have found taking a Sabbath a way to fit in some of those things that rejuvenate me.  Do you set aside a day each week where your work comes to a halt? You probably initially think that's crazy.  How can I go a day without work?  But, a Sabbath is a 24 hour break from all those things we HAVE to do.  A Sabbath reminds me that I don't rule the universe nor need to.  God is ultimately in control and a Sabbath reminds me of that.

A Sabbath is a precious gift from God that helps renew, refresh and restore our personal lives. It stops the crazy cycle of busyness we are all prone to keep.  Enjoy a day free from work where we can rest, worship, play, and do the things we love to do. God had a great idea when he planned a Sabbath! So, how can you make room for the rest of summer?  What fun do you need to plan? How could the discipline of a Sabbath rejuvenate your life?  Why not try?  Take a Mid-Summer Check up.  May the rest of your summer be the best ever!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.