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It's summer—and the livin' is easy, as the song goes. It's a time filled with bird song, the scent of freshly cut grass, and the roar of a baseball game. Summer means walks on the beach, ice-cold lemonade, night-time miniature golf (without a jacket!), raucous thunderstorms, picnics, barbecues, bike rides, ice cream cones, fireworks, and art fairs. Can't you just feel the wonders of summer?
I have to admit, summer's my favorite time of year. I almost feel a sense of panic when it starts to end. One of my friends and I have the same conversation every August: "Where did the summer go? It seems as though it just started yesterday!" But that's the trouble with summer; you can be so busy, you miss it. It's difficult to ignore an autumnlike time of transition, a winter of grief and loss, or the giddy feelings of hope and excitement that accompany a fresh start in life. But if you're not careful, you can miss out on the "summers" of the soul—those times in life when everything is going well, when life is abundant and good.
What happens when you miss out on a spiritual season of summer? I find I tend to become a joyless, complaining automaton—someone who merely survives from day to day. As a result, I've discovered the following three activities help me savor a spiritual summer. And when life isn't going so well, they help me recapture some of its goodness and joy.
Recreation.In our home, we talk about our "rec room." But the word "recreation" actually comes from a Latin word that means to refresh, restore, create anew. When you experience true recreation, your mind and body are completely refreshed. Summer wouldn't be summer without play and relaxation. One aspect of quality recreation is how well it moves you from the predictable rhythms of everyday life. That's why it's important to think outside the box, to change your routine.
A few years back, my daughters set up a lemonade stand one hot summer day. As I watched them from the window, I noticed they lacked customers, so I ran upstairs, put on a wig and a trench coat and some big sunglasses, then snuck out the back door of our house and through the neighbor's yard. All of a sudden, my girls saw this strange person approaching the table! In a deep voice I asked for some lemonade. It took my girls a while to figure out I was that strange-looking customer, but I paid my money, went inside, and put on a brand new outfit. Then I came out through the other neighbor's yard and asked for lemonade again. This went on about three times until I ran out of money for lemonade. The girls are still laughing about that day when I was so spontaneous and fun—unfortunately something that's all too rare for me.
What out-of-the-everyday activities restore you most? Do you love to go rock climbing, bungee jumping, or scuba diving? Do you feel refreshed by gardening, knitting, or spending a day at a spa (my personal favorite!)? Whatever you engage in, God delights to see you play. Psalm 104:24-26 says, "How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small … which you formed to frolic there."
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