One of my favorite attributes of God is that he is not chaotic. He is not unplanned. We serve a God of rhythms, patterns, and purpose (Gen. 1:14; Ps. 104:19, 24). And while he never changes, the world he created does. One of the main ways we see this is in the changing of the seasons. The most distinct of these, as far as the calendar of a school-aged family is concerned, is summer.
Summer is just different. The schedule gets a little lighter. The school pressure fades away. And yet, if I’m not careful, I can let this laid-back feeling infiltrate my spiritual life. As I attempt to emulate the rhythms and patterns God designed, I have found the following approaches (imperfect as they may be!) to be helpful during the summer months.
1. Prioritize Your Personal Spiritual Growth
Every morning during the school year, I am the first one awake in my family. My alarm usually sounds sometime around 5 am, and I drag myself out of bed to our family room for coffee, time in God’s Word, and, let’s be honest, some “life admin” while no one else needs me. Many days, this is my favorite hour of the day. I actually have the time to sit and just be with Jesus without rushing to the next thing. I can study the Word, I can pray, and I can do what is hardest for me—listening to the Holy Spirit.
But during the summer, this rhythm is disrupted. My kids are old enough now that, in the summer, they sleep past the time they’d normally wake up for school, especially if I’ve let them stay up late the night before (which I usually do). That usually means I have also been up late the night before. So, setting that early alarm when I have nothing pulling me out of bed before 7:30 am is tough. Admittedly, I don’t usually do it.
However, after a few weeks, I start to feel out of sorts. My lack of intentional time with the Lord begins to show. The last few summers, I have gotten creative. I may listen to a podcast on a walk or drive (let me recommend this one). While I’m in the car, I may intentionally play hymns or songs that point me to Jesus as I reflect on their lyrics and pray. I may sneak away during my lunch break and have a quick time of prayer. These are not foolproof, and I am far from perfect when implementing them. But I have found that prioritizing my own spiritual growth during the summer is the first step in doing so for my family.
2. Remain Faithful at Church
Faithful attendance at church is one of the main things we can do as parents to provide a strong spiritual foundation for our children. However, it can be tricky during the summer. I am the first to admit that we are less rigid in our weekly Sunday attendance during the summer months, simply due to travel. Yet, our family commitment remains: if we are in town, we are at church. I have also found that serving in various areas of the church can work as a built-in accountability system, even during the summer. I help teach our Sunday School class, my husband serves as a deacon, and together we volunteer in the nursery once a month. This ensures that even with summer travel, we remain tethered to our local congregation.
Sunday morning worship isn’t the only way to stay faithful at church in the summer, though. I would encourage you to explore the other opportunities your church provides for engagement during this less structured season. This could be a Sunday or Wednesday night program for adults and children. It could be registering your child for a camp or VBS, maybe even serving in them yourself. It could even be taking time to gather outside of church with other members of your congregation for fellowship and encouragement. Seek out these opportunities within your church and make an effort to remain faithfully engaged with your local body of Christ during the summertime.
3. Make Space to See the Lord Working in Everyday Life
Summer for our family involves fewer day-to-day commitments than the rest of the year. There is still plenty to do, but I find there is a little more time for moments to exhale and observe the world around me. As I do so, I feel convicted to weave God’s truth into these moments, for myself and for my children.
For example, I am writing this article from the porch of my in-laws’ beach house, overlooking the ocean. It is a favorite place for my children to visit. A few years ago, I started a little one-line catechism with my oldest son while we were down here. I will point to the ocean and say, “Look at the waves in the ocean. Do they ever end?” He will say, “No, they keep going and never stop.” Then I will ask, “What else never stops and goes on forever?” Then, he will answer, “God’s love for me.” It’s simple, it’s quick, and then he’s right back to digging holes in the sand. It’s just a little droplet of truth mixed into an everyday activity.
Another idea goes back to those late nights I mentioned earlier. As I said, I will let my boys stay up later than usual, but that usually means ending the night with one (or two) extra Bible stories. They’re giddy because they’re already up later than usual, and they get an extra story at bedtime! Sometimes this is whatever story is next as we read through our children’s Bible. Sometimes it’s a “greatest hits” evening where each boy gets to pick his favorite story, and we read those together.
Admittedly, summer days can drag on, and when they go longer than usual, it’s tempting to want to end them as soon as possible. But when I can slow down and take advantage of these nights to read a few more stories without rushing through them, I often find they lead to some of the sweetest questions and discussions with my kids.
As we navigate the changing schedules of the summer months, I would leave you with a reminder that none of this ever comes from our own strength. It is the Holy Spirit within us that spurs us on to faithfulness, and it is God’s grace that draws us near to him, regardless of the season. We can rest and rejoice in the fact that God’s faithfulness does not depend on ours. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Amen!
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