Hopes for Summer
May 21, 2011
When school lets out for the summer, I usually take about two weeks to do absolutely nothing and live in selfish consumption of all things food and entertainment.
I go and watch 3 movies in a row at Tinsletown (only 3.75 a movie before 5:00pm)
I eat entire Little Caesars pizzas and catch up on all of “my shows”
I space out on twitter and facebook at my desk.
I stare at James Harden’s beard
I find more shows to start and commit my life to, and then convince myself I have accomplished something when they are finished.
After this two week period though, something changes.
I feel convicted and disgusted. I feel as if I have wasted a part of my life that I will never get back. I get tired of talking about movies and shows. I grow bored of myself, because I have had to be entertained by other people’s thoughts for two weeks.
I lack vision and creativity, because I would rather someone else spoon feed me their own.
And I have grown very, very tired of this.
Because it has felt more like existence lately than living, and I desperately want to get back to living.
How do I respond to these convictions?
I usually set goals for myself, lofty at times, but practical things I want to challenge myself to do.
Here are my 3 hopes for this summer:
1. Read/Write- I want to read a book a week this summer. I want to journal and write down thoughts that are stirring inside of me as I read. I want to inhale and exhale ideas. I have been given some wonderful suggestions for books to read, and I will also be going through some scriptures I am less familiar with…I want to learn some things this summer.
2. Volunteer- I want to give away my free time. I find joy in the interactions I get to partake in during volunteering, but usually my mind forgets that joy, and I would rather justify sleeping in. Not this summer though, I want to spend time with people. Whether it is for a non-profit, or simply playing chess with the old man at Full Cup, I want to interact and focus a day on others instead of myself.
3. Sabbath- “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” God made something for us, he made the sabbath. Some people have way more on their plate than I do (Spouses, kids, multiple jobs, etc.) but for me the sabbath is to settle down on the busyness of my life, to put my phone in a drawer and turn off the tv. To go sit on my back porch, or share a meal with a good friend. The sabbath (for me) is eliminating all the things that are trying to take me away from the current moment. I used to believe it was about doing something to “check out” but I am becoming more and more convinced that is actually about checking in to the present.
Those are my 3 hopes for Summer 2011.
I hope I am changed by the experiences.
What are your hopes for this summer?
What do you want to dedicate your time to?
-AB
P.S. Currently Reading- The Good and Beautiful God By: James Bryan Smith
Currently Listening to: Outlines By: Sleeping At Last
I have the same self-corruption. I loathe how easily I can find ways to waste time. My summer job is only 4 hours a day in the afternoon, so I’ve been trying to think up ways to spend my “extra hours”. I love that you mention playing chess with the man at Full Cup, because that brings to me an image of peace and joy that could only come from that relationship and time. So incredible how just a sacrifice of time could change somebody’s day, week, or more.
I hope to honor the gift of the Sabbath and thank you for your encouragement and inspiration to do so. It is something I do in a “lazy” manner and I always take it for granted. God provides, I need to fully accept His gift.
And finally, one reason I started blogging was to make writing fun again. I hope to read (do you have any recommendation?), write, blog, use my new Flip camcorder, and have some good family time. Summer is an amazing time to enjoy the things we’re given and I hope to do enjoy my gifts, inward skills and possesions.
Thanks Cody! I love your blog man, and I’m glad to have some friends on wordpress now
I just picked up “The Good and Beautiful God” By: James Bryan Smith, so far it is great! Let me know if you pick it up and we could get together and talk about it, heck we could blog about it! Looking forward to reading more of your stuff!
Sincerely,
-AB
P.S. If you do get that book, don’t buy it at Mardel….its 23 bucks there, amazon has it for like 11!
Just learned today in my Sunday School class we’re gonna be reading Mere Christianity and doing a discussion over it. I also just realized I haven’t read Sex God or Love Wins, and I want to reading John Eldredge’s newest book, Walking with God.
Amazon is the place to go for anything. Thanks for the recommendation. I always get my music there- itunes can sometimes be a ripoff. Looks like it’s books too now!
I want you to come visit us in Ct this summer