SUMMERTIME SANCTUARY

“How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find REFUGE in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the ABUNDANCE of your house; you give them drink from your RIVER OF DELIGHTS. For with you is the FOUNTAIN OF LIFE; in your LIGHT we see light.” Psalm 36:7-9

Growing up as a Texas gal in pigtails and sophie shorts, summertime for me was always a season of growth. I spent the majority of  every summer of my life from the time I was seven either at Kanakuk, a Christian sports camp, or at a ballet summer intensive workshop in cities like New York City, Seattle, Boston, and Austin. (Thank You, Mom and Dad, for those priceless experiences!) Leaving home, as homesick as I would often get, stepping out of my comfort zone, and focusing on the Lord and on ballet for an intense time in the summer, always changed me. Summertime stretched my faith and helped me grow more and more towards what God had created me to be.

After having little ones, summertime started feeling a little bit different. During the school year, we have Mother’s Day Out days built into our schedule where we have maybe five hours one or maybe two days a week ALL TO OURSELVES. Those days are funny for me because I tend to take one extreme or the other…..get EVERYTHING done and as many errands done as possible in five hours…..or totally soak in a day of just enjoying time to get a pedicure or have coffee with a friend. Those hours are precious in the life of a Mommy with little ones. :)

I remember feeling like someone forgot to think about Mommies when they made the preschool schedule. Summer for Mommies can feel really daunting because their are no built in breaks in their week. Now, summers for me as my kids are getting a little older, don’t feel as daunting because the boys are so much more self-sufficient, and it’s so nice to have them home…..YOU will get there too before you know it! I want to encourage those Mommies of little ones today. As summer is approaching, know that you do not have to “do” this summer in your own strength. You have a Helper, the Holy Spirit, whose power is within you to help you do what feels impossible. I also want to encourage you Mommies to find a way every day to do something to keep you filled up physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Maybe it is to take a walk, (and I know that logistically, that is a lot easier said than done) take a bubble bath, go have a girls night, have a date with your husband…..whatever it is. Keep a dream journal. Most importantly, find ways to talk to the Lord throughout your day….talk to Him about all the details of each day, and let Him guide you into a summertime that is a sanctuary for your soul.

And if you are a dancer heading out to a summer intensive workshop, I encourage you to make the most of the workshop you are going to. Take some time before you head out to sit down with the Lord, and write down all the things you want to improve on this summer. Write down your concerns…take them to the Lord. Invite Him into your summer workshop. Take Him with you so that this workshop can be more than a ballet workshop….but a time to draw close to the One who loves you, created you, and gave you the gift of dance. Look to Him for REFUGE, His ABUNDANT blessings, DELIGHT, and LIGHT.

I am so incredibly thankful for my readers. (uh oh, this is making me tear up!) Seriously, I just treasure you, and I am so thankful for you. I am praying for you, my readers, and if you are a dancer, please let me know where you are headed this summer and how I can be praying for you. If you are a Mommy with little ones, please know I am praying for you, and if you have a specific prayer request, please don’t hesitate to email me. And if you are neither of those, I am praying for you too, and would love to know how I can be praying for you specifically. sarahbethmarr@gmail.com

I will keep the devos coming this summer to encourage you in your walk with the Lord. :)

Prayer: “Dear Lord, here is my summer. I give it to You. Please show me what You want me to focus on this summer. Lord, be my strength when I feel tired. Be my joy when I feel overwhelmed. Let this summer be a summer to focus on You, and to get to know you better.”