This year makes my 20th summer being a mom! It hardly seems possible as time has truly flown by. We've had slow summers, summer's full of moving to a different state, summers full of traveling to visit family across the country, summer weddings to attend and summers full of camps for the kids.
Looking back, I can pinpoint which summers were the best...and it had nothing to do with the activities we took part in. The BEST summers were when my husband and I took time to sit back and truly reflect on our family. Not just the basic daily life, but how we were functioning as a family.
We asked deep questions like:
How is our routine?
How are our attitudes toward each other?
Do any of us have any bad habits that need tweaking?
Is there some activity we need to be doing more of as a family?
Are there any activities that need to stop all together?
How are we managing our time?
Normally, we can pinpoint areas that need improvement and the solutions are relatively easy. But our reflections of our family do not stop there. A wise seasoned mom one gave me some priceless advise that we added to our summer discussion:
What do we want our family to look like and how do we get there?
This seems complex ~ but really, is your family turning out the way you'd always hoped that it would be? This might seem unattainable, but is it?
Really...?
Thankfully for us, we had some great families from our church modeling some excellent routines and habits within their family. It isn't hard to look around and see who is managing well and who isn't. I'm not suggesting comparison at all. We are all unique and comparing is a filthy trap that no one should ever partake in. We were able to pick and choose which habits and traits we wanted for our family. Over time we were able to work all together to bring these important changes to fruition.
Today I encourage you to take the time this summer to sit back, be quiet and take a good look at your family. Pray about it. Ponder it in your heart. Pray some more. Ask the Lord to show you what His best is for your family.
Guarantee: This will be the best thing you can possibly do this summer!!
Isaiah 43:19
This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves, The God who summons horses and chariots and armies— they lie down and then can’t get up; they’re snuffed out like so many candles: “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’ —the coyotes and the buzzards— Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sun-baked earth, Drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.