Summer Survival Guide

Summer is a special time. It’s my favorite season and it holds a special place in my heart. There’s a freedom and playfulness that doesn’t seem to be there in other seasons. The days are longer and I have more time for things I love.

As much as I love summer, I notice that I sometimes put God on the back burner. I don’t do it intentionally. I just fill my days with other things, then realize that I haven’t been including God in my plans. Honestly it makes sense that it’s harder for us to find God in the summer. During the school year, we have a rhythm with God. You have certain times a day you know you will spend with God, reading, or listening to worship music. You have different activities in your schedule with a community of people also going after God. Once summer comes, your rhythm with God is changed because your schedule changes. You might have so much time you don’t know what to do with it, or you might be so busy that you think you have no time at all for God. Either way it’s so important that you know you can thrive spiritually in a season that looks different than what you’re used to.  

My advice to you if you’re feeling disconnected with God in the summer: think about what you normally do in the school year to connect to God and do those things. It’s so simple. You just have to intentionally put God into your new schedule and make a new rhythm with Him.
 
Here are some things that I do to connect with God.  

Get in the word. If you want to know God’s heart and learn what His voice sounds like, it’s important to know His word. Get to know His character. Pick a book of the bible and start reading.  

Listen to worship music. Worship Him.
 
Beni Johnson says this about worship in The Happy Intercessor- “The Greek word for worship is proskuneo; it means ‘to kiss.’ It is a feeling or attitude within us that keeps us close to God…. Worship comes from within us and goes with us throughout our day. When we adore God, we are kissing Him.”  

Journal your prayers. Write down your thoughts. Let God speak through you. Go back and read your journal from the past and take note where God has come through. If He did it once, it’s a lot easier to believe He’ll do it again.

Read books. I highly recommend Garden City and God Has a Name by John Mark Comer!

Talk to God. Out loud. Randomly thank Him for things. A relationship is built from spending time with someone and having constant dialogue.

Surround yourself with community. This one is so important for the summer. We lose our built in community, so you have to intentionally create it for yourself. Reach out to people. They need community too.

Do something creative with God. Get out of your box. Take a risk and include God in the process. Paint something, create something with your hands, design something. Do it without the pressure of perfection. Just let God create through you.

Those were some things I like to do to connect with God, but there are so many other ways.  

I also want to say that your life wasn’t meant to be compartmentalized into “God things” and “regular life things.” Literally everything you do, God is involved in it. So everything that you love about summer, beautiful landscapes, yummy food, driving with the windows down, God wants you to enjoy those things. He delights in the fact that these things give you joy. So practice bringing God into the simple things you delight in by simply thanking Him.  

Summer is a special time with God. There’s less distractions. All you have to do is look at Him, and He’s there, excited to spend time with you.  

Author | Sam Forbes