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Happy summer, friends! The season when we put our sweaters in storage, start ordering our coffee iced, and drive with the windows down is finally here. This year, I'm excited to spend the month of May at home celebrating my sister's graduation, and then I'll head back to Fort Worth to move into a house and start my internship at an advertising and web design agency.
So, as much as I love summer, I'm working through the process of accepting the fact that it starts to look a bit different as we grow older. This summer, I'll still have the luxuries of a 9:30-3 work day and lots of time at the pool, but this isn't the off-season I've always known. I'd be lying if I told you I'm not already missing the mornings when I don't have to set an alarm, or the evenings when I return home to dinner waiting for me on the stove. To be honest, being away from home for the summer months is a big, nerve-wracking change for me. I'm excited for this adventure, but that doesn't mean I'm not afraid.
But, I think sometimes we need a new experience to push us out of our comfort zones and test what we truly believe in. And so, as nervous as I am about spending the summer away from home, I'm expectant that God will show up.
It seems like the majority of people in my life are entering into transformational summers - whether you've just graduated and are anticipating your big post-high school plans, or you've just finished up your freshman year of college, or you're headed into your first summer of "adulting" like I am, I hope these words can encourage and excite you about the next three months.
Whatever your summer looks like, I hope this truth settles your soul: God's got you exactly where He wants you. I've struggled with this truth a lot, between all the bouncing back in forth from Colorado to Texas. I spent the vast majority of my freshman year of college wishing I was in one state whenever I was in the other.
However, I've learned that when we obsess about what could be, we miss out on what God has for us right here, right now. There is so much beauty and revelation and peace and light right where your feet are.
I bet that some days this summer, my restless heart will probably long for the comforts of home; but if I make the conscious choice right now to trust in God's sovereignty over my summer, I won't miss out on what He wants to teach me while I'm in Texas.
This summer, you might be far from your best friends, or right down the street from them; you might be surrounded by your favorite scenery, or longing for the views of home; you may be bored or busy - but I believe it's all part of God's divine plan for you. And I know, some days it may not feel so divine, but we can choose to view our placement as an opportunity to learn more about God's plan for our lives when we commit to being present and open minded.
Take advantage of what God's placed in front of you today, instead of longing for what you once had or for what you don't have yet. Remember Jesus is the only one who can truly satisfy our restless hearts, regardless of where we are.
I'm believing for a summer full of new revelations of God's kindness and precision when it comes to orchestrating our lives. I'm praying for a summer full of sunsets on porches and homemade smoothie bowls and spontaneity that doesn't feel scary. Somewhere between the laughter and introspection and solitude and company, I hope we realize why God has us where we are for the summer.
I'm expectant for you and me both to experience the moments of summer bliss when we breathe in and think, "this is exactly where God wants me."
Matthew 6:34, MSG - “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."