Summertime Blues

So here we are, it’s July, the very middle of summer. It should be the happiest time of the year. School is out. People are on vacations. The swimming pools are open. This is also the time that we Americans celebrate our freedom. Sounds like a great time of year, right? For most people it is, but I have always struggled during this season. I always love to travel and experience new adventures, but it always seems as though I never have enough time or money. The growth of social media over the last decade has made it even worse. My newsfeed always seems to be full of everyone else’s vacation photos. They always look so perfect, and a part of me always longs to be where they are.

While I am happy for my friends in their joy, those feelings of envy and jealousy still creep in and rear their ugly heads. So what does the Bible say about this? Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the other.” Instead of being envious of others’ joy, we should rejoice in it with them. In that way, we should hope that they would do the same for us.

So why is this so hard to do? Our sinful human nature drives us to compare ourselves to others and seek their approval. When we don’t get to go on the same extravagant vacations that others do, we feel as though we will not live up to the same expectations or meet our peers’ approval. In reality, who should we be trying to seek the approval of? The one true answer should be obvious, God! He is the only one who matters. In the end, when we die, we will not remember all of the lavish vacations and expensive trips because we will be in the one true paradise that is heaven!

The big question now is, how do we get ourselves out of this funk? I’ve spoken about this before, but I really feel that one of the biggest ways to help achieve happiness in our lives is to remember to be thankful for everything that we have. It is easier to grumble and complain about what we don’t have in our lives than it is to thank God for what we do have. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Did you catch those words, “in all circumstances”? We must remember to thank God in our highs and our lows. Not only should we thank Him when things are going well, but when things are maybe not so well.

Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” We need to praise and thank God in everything we do and say. Our lives should be reflections of that gratitude towards God. If we try to make this a habit, we will start to see that joy return to our lives, and when that joy returns to our lives, others will notice it too.

It’s not easy to train ourselves to do this, but it can be done. One thing that I do a lot is to take advantage of the times when my mind is idle. This could be when I am driving, taking a shower, or doing other mundane household chores. It is during these times that my mind drifts and sometimes starts to worry. Instead of letting that worry take over, I try to think of things I can thank God for instead. This always brings my mood up and takes the focus off of the bad and onto the good.

Another activity which I just started implementing with my family is to sit down together every evening before bedtime and each state one thing that we are thankful for from that day. It could be big or small, but the point of the exercise is to think of something good in our lives before we go to sleep. My hope is that this will help improve our moods and help us get a more restful sleep. It is much better to go to sleep thankful and happy than bitter and grouchy!

To return to the original topic of summertime blues, I will admit that my family does not have a lot of extra spending money this summer. While the prospect of a long vacation is out of the picture, I have been trying to find other meaningful ways to spend time together this summer. We have spent many hours enjoying nature together, spending time with family, gardening and enjoying some of our favorite activities, such as Shark Week! Next week is the county fair, and my daughter always gets super excited to go and see all the animals. Last week I scored free tickets to our local minor league baseball team’s game, and we were able to enjoy a nice night out at the ballpark! So you see, there are still many things to be thankful for, and many ways to have fun and enjoy our time together.

Pumpkins harvested from our garden.

Bell peppers in our garden.

Sunset over Lake Barkley, KY, USA

Celebrating the Fourth of July on the lake.

As a child, I never remember my parents taking me on a lot of extravagant vacations. We never went to Disney World, took a cruise, or traveled abroad. The biggest vacation I remember taking was when I was 4 years old and my brothers were teenagers. We all 5 piled into a 1970s Chevy Nova with a luggage rack on top and drove all the way from Indiana to Wyoming to visit Yellowstone National Park. Talk about an adventure! Even though I was only 4 years old at the time (and celebrated my 4th birthday while there), I still have many vivid memories of that trip. One of the best stories was when my brother dropped his class ring into an exhibit of bear cubs, and the zookeeper had to go retrieve it for him! Besides that trip, my childhood summers were full of memories of playing outside all day long, riding my bicycle, going to the local swimming pool and chasing down the ice cream man. I never once felt unhappy or unfulfilled. Sometimes as adults we need to go back to those times of finding happiness in the little things.

I am happy with the way my summer is going this year! I have made many memorable experiences with my family, and I have a lot to be thankful for. No matter what your summer (or any other season) looks like, remember not to compare your experiences with others around you. Look for the little things that give you joy and the things you have to be thankful for. Don’t think that your weeks have to be crammed full of activities to be enjoyable. Rejoice in the quiet moments and relaxing times. All of these are gifts from God. And please, don’t stop sharing those pictures! I love to see the many adventures of my friends! God bless you in all the seasons of your life!