Summer 2013

     My summers are normally super busy. And when I say busy, I don’t mean that I go one or two places or help out with a few events here and there. No, normally I live out of my suitcase and need a vacation FROM my summer. 

     However, this year is different.  This summer, for various reasons, I have only a few places planned to go and a few events to help with.  In addition, my best friend, who is basically the only person I ever hang out with is gone for nine weeks on a mission trip.
     My first reaction, of course, was to pout. I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to stay home. I love to stay as busy as possible doing as many things as possible, meeting as many new people as possible, etc. So for my summer to look this way, I’ve been a little bummed out. I’ve done a little of the whole, “Woe is me!” “Why don’t I have any friends?” “Why am I so bored?” “What am I supposed to do for three months?!” thing for the past few weeks.
     After I took a minute to reflect, though, I started to pray. I came to the conclusion that maybe there is a reason why God is giving me so much free time this summer. Maybe there are some things that He wants me to do. And after doing some soul-searching, I’ve come up with a  few answers.
     First, I think God wants me to finish my book.  I wrote a book in the ninth grade and have been stuck in the editing process ever since.  During the school years, I haven’t had time to work on it, and most of the time, my summers are too booked to work on it as well.  So I think this summer, God is providing me time to finish my book. Once I finish, I plan on self-publishing it, and I’m hoping this will provide me with a  little bit of income for college.
     Second, God wants me to work on my Spanish.  I am going on a mission trip to New York in July, and my group and I are going to be working with children at a  Spanish-speaking church.  I have loved Spanish since I first started taking it in the 10^th grade, and I’ve always wondered why God gave me this love.  Now, He is giving me a chance to use it for His glory, so I want to work hard so that I will be able to do a little  bit of communicating with the people of the church.
     Third, I am determined to get into shape. Not necessarily to be skinny (although I wouldn’t mind dropping a few pounds), but to get into shape. I am not an active person…my 55 year old dad can out-walk me any day!! I want to get into better shape and become healthier for myself so that I will be able to enjoy and make the most out of my experiences my first year in college and will not be hindered by my own body.
     Lastly, but most importantly, I feel God is giving me time to truly work on my relationship with Him.  I know that heading to college in the fall, I will hit all kinds of obstacles. Coming from a private school, I will be introduced to all kinds of new temptations and distractions from my relationship with God. However, I think that if I have a strong foundation in my relationship with Him, everything will be alright.
     There are a few more odds and ends I want to work on, but these are the main things I will be working on this summer. I hope that through the process I will learn and grow a lot so that when I start my new chapter of life in the fall, I will be at the place in my life where God wants me to be.