Jay’s Blog – Summer Sanctification
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Maycember is almost over, with its incessant barrage of end-of-school-year celebratory events. While these gatherings may seem relentless, it’s good that we have them, beneficial to pass the seasons of life with commemorations and markers of God’s goodness and provision in our lives. That being said, I have to confess to being somewhat relieved every year, walking out the back door at the end of commencement exercises, the satisfaction of another academic year successfully past.
And now, on to summer. Our school theme this year was “Practicing God’s Presence,” learning how to truly abide in Him. One of the vital ingredients for abiding is creating the margin, the time and space for making connections with our Lord possible. Whatever your summer plans, I pray you’ll consider using the opportunities that the slower pace of summer often provides to deepen your intimacy with Jesus.
Summer affords us the opportunity to rest from the hectic schedule of the remainder of the year. God created us for rest, both physical rest and resting from the inherent need to control our surroundings. Rest reminds us that God is in control, that we control nothing, and that this is very, very good news.
This summer, as you take time off or go on vacation, could you just take some time to sit still and be with the Lord? If you’re like me when I was younger, vacations involved simply exchanging one insane schedule (work) for another set of frenetic activities (an overscheduled vacation). What if time away looked like sleeping late and not filling every second while you’re away?
A couple of years ago, we were at the beach in Florida, and I was sitting in a chair, staring off into the distant clouds, and watching a far-off thunderstorm forming miles offshore. I was contemplating God’s power and majesty, and praising Him for it. Apparently, this had gone on for a while, because my middle child (who is also ADHD, by the way) called me out on it. She said, “Dad, your brain is wired like mine; how can you just sit there and stare out at the ocean like that?” It hit me that I had finally learned, after all these years, to just sit and rest in the Lord. And, it was very, very good.
Summer is also a great time to practice simplicity. Our lives are incredibly complex, aren’t they? Here in America, it feels as though we all have to have “big plans” for the summer, cramming more into already complex and busy schedules. The idea of “simplicity” sounds really appealing, but it’s more than just buying less stuff or doing fewer things.
As author Brett McKay has said, simplicity begins with a clear sense of purpose. I have to boil down what’s important to me and then decide how to spend my resources and time. For example, if my purpose is to be a deeper follower of Jesus and to let that passion drive how I lead our school and my family, that becomes my focused purpose.
Simplicity is definitely a spiritual discipline, but it’s the discipline of choosing to spend resources, time, and energy on things that work towards that purpose, and not on things that detract from it or have nothing to do with it (building in time for recreation and rest is important, too). I may actually find that I’m spending more time on some things, but simplicity means that doing so drives my purpose.
Summer’s more relaxed cadence gives us the breathing room we need to take a good look at ensuring our lives are driven by purpose and to reevaluate whether our expenditures of time, talent, and treasure (how we spend our time and money) are centered around that purpose. If not, we have more breathing room to assess what we can drop or phase out over time to simplify our lives. Doing so can lead not only to living life more on mission but also to reduced stress and anxiety, resulting in a greater quality of life throughout the year.
Getting outside more often during the summertime allows us to listen to God’s voice through creation. Last summer, I sat out on the dock at the lake and watched the trees on the other side. I noticed, for the first time in my life, that each leaf on every tree was a different shade of green. Through that observation, God spoke to me about His incredible artistry and care for His creation, and revealed to me how much He must care for me if He affords that much detail to leaves.
As I’ve aged, it’s astounded me how much truth God has to teach us when we bother to take the time to observe and study His creation. Psalm 19 famously tells us that God is constantly speaking to us through the world around us:
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.”
If I ask you when the last time God spoke to you, you might say it’s been a while. Yet, it’s very rare that He doesn’t reveal some truth to me if I will only sit with Him in His creation long enough. Yet, like you, most of the time I’m so busy I miss it. Summer is a great time to stop and listen to what He has to say.
Finally, the beginning of summer represents the end of the academic year. Throughout this year, God has been actively at work in all of our lives. He’s worked through victory and tragedy; His Word read, spoken, and preached through others; our relationships and interactions with others; and experiences and opportunities we’ve had throughout the year. Rarely, however, do we take the time or have the bandwidth to reflect on the year on God’s work in our lives through all these things.
Early this summer, as we look back on the school year, could you take a moment to reflect on God’s goodness and work in your life? One great way to do this is to pray through the Examen. This is a way to prayerfully review the year and give thanks to Him for seasons when you saw His goodness. When did you feel closest to God? What did He use to make you feel that way, and how was that a gift? Where did you fail to love well, or where do you need to seek forgiveness and make amends?
You can also ask God to reveal to you what He’s been trying to teach you this year, and what things He’s been revealing to you that you need to release. What outcomes have you been trying to control that you need to surrender to Him? Looking forward, who is He calling you to be, and what needs to change to get there?
Quieter mornings, when we’re not rushing kids out the door to school, allow us the opportunity to pick one or more of these questions and humbly offer them to God, allowing Him to search our hearts. Prayerfully engaging God in this way builds gratitude and intimacy with the Lord, as well as intentionality and a renewed focus as you move into the next year.
Enjoy the more relaxed rhythms of summer and use them to draw deeper into Jesus. Can you imagine how great next school year would be if so many of us emerged from this summer with a deeper abiding sense of Christ? These years don’t last forever; let’s take advantage of them.
Jay Ferguson, Ph.D., Head of School at Grace Community School, writes regularly on his blog, JaysBlog.org.