On Summertime Quiet Times

Can you believe that it's June already? My kids have been out of school for a full week now, and even though we're all enjoying lazy days at the pool and moving at a slower pace (can I get an amen?!?), for this working-from-home mama, the shift from long quiet hours alone to never getting a minute to myself is always hard.

One of my girls is a particularly early riser, so it seems like no matter how early I get up, she always beats me to it, and more often than not, I find her in the den reading or watching TV when I come out of our room. So much for coffee and quiet time in my regular spot. To be honest, part of me is really annoyed at this interruption in my routine, but the other side of me knows that the summer will be over soon, and just like many other seasons, it will pass far too quickly.

In the meantime, it's been helpful for me to establish a bare minimum when it comes to my time alone with the Lord. Every day, I commit to do at least that much. Just because I can't spend as much time in Bible study during the summer as I do during the school year doesn't mean I can't do anything at all. On the rare days when I get more time alone, I add in "extras," but on the other days, I make the most of the time I have with this pared down quiet time routine.

Simple Summer Quiet Time

• Spend a couple of minutes in prayer.
• Read and pray through 1-2 chapters from Psalms.
• Take 2-3 minutes to reflect on the reading.
• Close in prayer.

And that's it. As you can see, my minimum is pretty bare bones, but my heart desperately needs the time with God, and I make sure to do at least this much every single day. Some days I have time to journal, add chapters from my chronological Bible reading plan, or read a devotional book, but those days are rare gifts that are few and far between.

Maybe this isn't something that you struggle with, but if you're like me and it's hard to find time and space for a quiet time during the summer, give yourself some grace. Figure out what your bare minimum should be and do that as faithfully as you can. On the occasions when you have the luxury of more time, go a bit deeper. Know that God sees your longing heart, and you can rest assured that he will honor every single bit of effort that you put into seeking him.

Do you have any tips or routines to share? Post them on social media with #CultivateFaithfulness so we can encourage one another! I'd love to hear what works for you.

Until next time, grace and peace.