Happy July Friends!
Today is June 24th and I’m struggling to write our July Newsletter article. Not because I don’t have anything to say, but I think I have too much to say, too much to share, too much to ask.
I hope you each have already or are now making plans for some vacation time. I’ve been trying to figure out ways to recapture the summers of my childhood where every day was some sort of adventure or the restorative bliss of lounging on a recliner by the pool or on the beach. I find I’ve been praying that for each of us. To be able to enjoy this summer in a way that reminds us of the best summers of our lives. That each day is filled with fun, joy, rest, the people we love, meeting new friends, reconnecting with people we’ve missed. I never cared how hot those summer days were. I loved the hot sun and played in the random rainstorms. I pray that each of us finds that kind of summer to enjoy this summer.
As much as we all need rest, as I pray for our community, I get the sense that we also need to play, to be a little silly, to indulge in simple pleasures, to remember what it’s like to be care-free.
Those days that were care-free weren’t so because we didn’t have things to do. They were care-free because our priorities were not focused on burdens or responsibilities, but the joy of living each day. Things weren’t perfect during those summers; we just didn’t spend the emotional energy on the “small stuff.” Once I was old enough, I worked every summer, but somehow, I was not caught in the “grind” of being employed. And no matter how much I worked, I had energy and excitement to do 100 other things as well. Care-free. Full. Life-giving. Joy-filled. Always ready for more. There was always room for “more.”
pray that for us too. But I pray we have more than a summer. I pray we make the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual shift to the life we are invited to in Jesus. The kind of care-free life that is filled with purpose, joy, adventures with Jesus, filled with “more.” So what will we need to do, to choose that care-free life? I urge you to renew your commitment to a whole, holy, healthy, life. What do you need to do to care for your mental and emotional health? What do you need to do care for your physical health? What are you willing to do to increase your spiritual health? Once you start thinking about what you can do, I want to urge you to practice, to “do” those things. I’m going to start by taking a nap. I’m going to call a friend to share the crazy of the day. I’m going to do some yoga and resistance training. I’m going to forgive an offense. And then I’m going to have some ice cream while sitting in the sun. What will you do?
Care-free in Christ
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