Feeling Life's Heat? Hydrate

It’s been an unusually hot summer for Seattle. Way too many days hitting temperatures in the high 80s and mid 90s in my opinion. C’mon! The Pacific Northwest is supposed to maintain moderate temps, after all.

My husband and I are fortunate. We put in central air a few years ago, which has provided reprieve from the heat. But we have needed to spend countless hours watering in order save the yard and many flowers I plant from withering and dying.

When petunias are wilted from lack of moisture, geraniums are often still standing tall. They can take a lot of heat.

But even geraniums, after being exposed day after day to high temperatures, need water to survive.

Our spiritual lives can be like that.

Maybe we’ve grown up in a Christian home, or have been a believer for awhile. It can sometimes be easy to convince ourselves that our relationship with God is strong enough.

We may attend church once a week—or not that frequent—and feel that we're good to go until we’re inclined to return. We may never read our Bible, convinced we’ve heard it all.

But does occasionally attending church on Sunday always help you deal with:

* the project your boss throws on your desk on Monday?

* the unexpected bill that arrives in the mail on Tuesday?

* the argument you have with your spouse on Wednesday?

* the notice at 9:00 p.m. on Thursday that your twelve-year-old needs school supplies for the next day?

* the car breaking down on the highway on Friday?

* the unrealistic expectations of an aging parent on Saturday?

Like geraniums needing water to thrive—even the very strong and faithful Christian needs hydration. Spiritual hydration.

But how do we do that?

I admire people who get up early in the morning to read their Bibles and spend time in prayer. I’m not one of them. I’m not a morning person. I already get up at 5:00 a.m. to get ready for work. Rising even earlier is NOT going to happen.

So I find other ways to daily connect with God. I pray in the car on my way to work. Writing articles, blog posts, and devotions requires me to study the Bible and look at daily scenarios in the context of my spiritual life. I’m blessed to have a spouse and grown children who openly talk about their faith—as well as friends who challenge me to grow in my relationship with God.

All those things help keep me hydrated spiritually and better equipped to deal with the “heat” that gets thrown my way.

How about you?

Here are a few ideas:

* Throw a small devotional in your purse or backpack.

* Listen to messages or Christian music on CDs in the car.

* Read blogs – like this one - that hopefully challenge you to think about your spiritual life.

* Read Christian fiction. You’ll find spiritual truths woven into great stories.

* Join a mid-week Bible study.

* Find a friend who is willing to talk about their own daily faith struggles and blessings.

* If you love movies, there are excellent productions with Christian based themes without being preachy. Check out any of writer/actor/producer Tyler Perry’s work. His movies deal with real issues and contain both comedic and dramatic elements.

Have a great week – and stay hydrated!

Dawn