Is summer a schedule changer for you? Are you having to pencil in time to see your best friend because of vacations? Not seeing your regular peeps at church because of people going different places? I know as a mom of 3 teenagers, summer is filled with many different activities that deviate from our normal schedule in the other three seasons. The camps, the dates with friends, the days at the park, going to the lake, seeing family from out-of-town, vacation, sleepovers…oh, wait, where is my time with God?

Deviating from the norm of you schedule is good for you at times because it changes the pace of your life. You begin to think about things differently: what needs to change and what needs to stay the same. Things become less important in some instances when you realize they are no longer applicable and you verify what’s really important and you determine for that to stay the same. I always want to make time for God in my head, it just doesn’t seem to always work out that way.

So, how can we make time for God in the busy seasons of our lives?

1. Get a new perspective. Just because you’ve had devotions every morning doesn’t mean you can’t meet God out in nature while you take your kids to the zoo or park. Talk about creation with them. Getting out in nature can become a full-blown Bible study of God and all that He’s made. We are told in Deuteronomy to talk about God with our kids and sharing your relationship with God can do just that.
2. Talk about Him with others. If you are someone who prefers to take your lunch break and have devotions, it can be quite frustrating when your boss needs you to work through lunch. What if, though, you were able to talk about God and what He’s doing in your life with others? It’s okay to have a theological discussion with others about how God is working in their lives and let them talk to you about what they see God doing in your life. Oftentimes, hearing about God from others can be a wonderful reminder that you’re not on this path alone.
3. Listen to music. Listen to the radio, your song list, or the hymns…anything that will keep your focus upon God. What you have coming in will eventually come out one day. I have been through very stormy waters where the only words I could utter or pray were a song that I sang over and over and over to God. He knew my hurt and He knew my heart; I just had no words except for a song.
4. Write out Scripture. Working at a restaurant and having a bad day/week/year? Put an encouraging Scripture or two on an index card and keep in  your pocket. You’ll be able to pull it out when you’re at the end of your rope. Working from home with small kids? Write out Scripture and place on  your refrigerator so that when you get one more yogurt, string cheese, or juice you will be filling your mind with God’s word. Have a cubicle at work? Hang Scripture by your computer so you can look away to the right or to the left and read through it when you need to catch a breath.

Making time for God is not a science. Making time for God is intentional. Don’t limit Him to the box you’ve created or the list you’ve made. He is so much more. Take this busy time of chaos and allow God to be found in a different light. Open your eyes to the possibilities of seeing a new aspect of God; a new fill-in-the-blank of I AM that I AM. What is God to  you? I AM _________ (counselor, friend, comforter, strength, peace, love, calm). What I AM do you need today? God is waiting for you. Make time for God and learn a new way today to find Him.

© 2017 Susan M. Sims

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