We’re well past due for spring cleaning. I’ve had a to do list that’s only been growing for months that involves cleaning out the attic and garage. Now that the campaign is over, school is about to be out, things have generally slowed down, that list is waiting for me. I’m kind of looking forward to it though, truth be told. There’s something about cleaning, or specifically getting rid of stuff, that helps me clear the mental baggage as well. I feel lighter, less cluttered, and have more clarity. I could use clarity these days as I choose my next right thing (shout out to Emily P. Freeman).

Speaking of our next right thing, for years we’ve had a family practice of asking ourselves a few questions to help us clear space for the upcoming season of sun. This year is no different. In fact, when I look back at my journal entries for the past few years, I face a similar set of conditions. Last year at this time I wrote, “I feel like there’s too much up in the air for me to be weighed down with worries.  And with the girls being out of school and home for the next few weeks before we begin our road trip, it’s a potential recipe for chaos if I’m not intentional.” Two years ago I wrote, “I want to go with the flow this summer. That’s my intentions.  I know this will require me to practice relinquishing control and I’ll have plenty of opportunities to attempt to do this.” The summer before that I wrote about practicing being present and living in the moment. It seems that while summer brings the fun, it also brings with it unanswered questions about how we’ll spend our time.

Each of these past few years we’ve chosen to spend the summers traveling as a family. Two years ago it was a cross country trip for weeks on the road to visit Civil Rights destinations and the Grand Canyon. Last year it was a drive up the east coast into Canada, and back down through the midwest. This summer we’ll be in Costa Rica. I’ve started each summer with the same set of questions… how will we make it through this summer in tact? How will I navigate the various unknowns (work, finances, schedules, etc)? How can I make this a restorative time of rest, play, and reflection?

To help me answer these questions, I’m returning to author Emily Freeman’s seasonal guide to being a soul minimalist. Each season I ask myself these set of questions to help me discern my own next right thing.

• Name my posture: How do I want to approach this summer? Given the busy first half of the year we’ve had where most things have felt hard, I’m looking for a season of ease. My favorite scripture right now is Jesus’s invitation to those who are tired and worn out to, “get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30 The Message Translation). I could use that right about now. It’s sort of the opposite of leaning in, rather it’s a falling back to let things come to you.
• Create space: What practices, rhythms or routines will help create room for me to live into this posture? I have to create space for things to come to me don’t I? I can’t be in a hurry. I can’t over-schedule myself. I have to be open, flexible, and gracious (three practices I’ve been prioritizing).
• Listen to what needs your attention: I know that for me, my schedule and my physical space will be the first things I’ll have to tackle in order to set myself up for success this summer.  
• Choose your absence: Drama. What my friend Will calls “unnecessary struggle”.
• Plan your presence– what is life giving that I need to make time to do? I’ve already started spending large portions of my day outside (my backyard is now where I take most of my zoom calls). Next up, it’s time to put these bikes back on the road and visit a few places. The wider and more open the space the better for my soul.

Though I begin each summer with a set of unanswered questions, it always works out. I’m just glad to have a bit of a roadmap if (when) I inevitably lose my way. This is how I find my way home.

SDW3