My youngest wanted to try his bike without training wheels. It had been a long day and he needed to hear a “Yes,” so we headed outside to the field to give it a go. As Teddy’s eyes focused on the tree line ahead of him he started to pedal quickly, and he was doing it! He was riding!
We turned the bike around and started back towards the barn, but this time he looked down at his front tire. As it turned from side to side, he said, “Woah wooooooaaaaah!” leaning heavily on my hands. He no longer knew where he was heading and began wobbling unsteadily.
Teddy’s bike riding had hit a plateau because he stopped looking at the horizon. Even when I said, “Look up, look up, ride to the barn,” trying to push his gaze to the distance, he couldn’t do it. He was caught up in what was surrounding him rather than where he wanted to go.
It makes me think of how I have to be careful in the summer when it comes to my trajectory towards God. For me time and focus on Him can become more sporadic if I don’t fight for it. While the sun beats down on my skin, distracted by the warmth of the rays, my soul will plateau in the fun if I don’t keep my eyes fixed on the horizon and my contact with God.
If summer has meant less consistency for you too, let’s go into this summer asking God to steady our hearts and our gaze on Him. Enter with a plan, look at what you want to be reading and when that will be a part of your days. We must keep our gaze on our God who is steady if we don’t want our communication and connection with God to bake in the summer sun.
Here are a few tips that may be helpful as you make your plan to keep your eyes on the horizon this summer:
-Ask God to show up, look for Him everywhere, and acknowledge that even the smallest coincidence may be Him.
-Leave your Bible and notebook in the same place each day so you don’t waste time looking for them.
-Have a pens & a plan. (Know what you will do ahead of time. Here is a link to the reading plan I’m following…join me if you would like.)
-If your kids/work/life is loud, get some headphones and a music source without words to block the world out, so even if you are in a full room, you can hear Him.
-Show up even when you aren’t feeling it.
-Fill your mind and days with things that will point to Him, from podcasts to music. Choose options so that as God speaks, it is easier for you to hear Him.
-Give yourself lots of grace, but not excuses.
-Always begin again.
This is the free life…free because our hearts are compelled…and even when it doesn’t feel that way, dang I want it to. This is the path towards the life I never knew I always wanted.
