I love summer. Summer is when I can sit with Britton on the beach and read, it’s is when I can get away with my kids and just hang out, it’s when I can check things off my to-do list at home that I just never seem to have time for and it’s when I can put the busyness of life on hold for a while and catch my breath. I love summer.
One of the things I often find myself doing during my summer break is reflecting on how the year is going. I consider how I’m doing with my goals and whether I need to make adjustments to my routine or my goals. I take time every summer to evaluate where I’ve been and where I’m going and I begin to adjust my behaviours and habits to ensure I get where I want to go.
We’ve all taken summer road trips. We’ve piled into a vehicle and begun driving to a specific destination. At some point along the journey we likely consulted a map or paid attention to the GPS when it said “bear right.” In order to get to our destination we inevitably had to make mid-course corrections based on a map or the voice of Siri.
Life is just like that. We set a goal one day and the next find ourselves going in direction that won’t lead us to that goal. Without careful monitoring and mid-course corrections we can find ourselves off track.
I have found the change of routine and freedom that summer offers allow me the time to reflect and make mid-courses corrections to my life. I reflect specifically on five areas of my life that often need some sort of midcourse correction.
- I consider how my physical health is, often this will prompt a call to the doctor for my annual physical, or it’ll prompt me to get back on track with my exercise.
- I consider how my emotional health is and this will spark conversations with Britton and my close friends or mentor about the highs and lows of the year so far.
- I look at the relationship health, especially in the relationships most important to me. How is my relationship with Britton, my kids, my extended family and friends, are the problems or tensions, what do I need to do and what could I do to make them better?
- I examine my financial health. Am I spending more than I’m making and if so why? Where does generosity fit in my life style? What do I need to stop doing in order to have greater financial health?
- And I take extended time to focus on my spiritual health and relationship with God. Often I’ll find that I’ve gotten off track and the busyness of life has led me away from God instead of closer to him and I need a midcourse correction. So I spend time talking with him about what’s been going on and listening to his guidance for the days ahead.
Fall is coming, the busyness of school, work and life will return. If I don’t take time to examine myself and make a midcourse correction I’ll find myself way off course and even lost. So, amidst all of the things I get to do this summer I’m taking time to examine myself and see what needs to change.
The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 13:5-6 (MSG), “Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourself regular checkups.” That’s good advice about every part of your life, not just your faith. Paul continues, “You need first hand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.”
How are you doing? Is there something that needs to change in order to create greater physical, emotional, relationship, financial and spiritual health in your life? What could you do this fall that would lead you to the life that Jesus created you for, a life he died so you could have.
Maybe its time for mid-course correction?
Source: Kirk’s Blog
