August is here, and with it, the much-anticipated return to school. Even if you aren’t in the throes of preparing children for class with back-to-school shopping, you can still sense the shift of the season that signals the end of summer break.
Gone is the slow, chill vibe of summer – the beach vacations and endlessly long days of barbecues and pool parties. Instead, our calendars begin to fill with curriculum nights, rehearsals, and teacher conferences. And suddenly, our resolve to keep up with less urgent, but no less important, routines begins to crumble.
If we’re not careful, things like self-care and spiritual reflection take a backseat to the busyness of life. And we’re left asking “Where is God in all of this?”
He’s still here, we just have to create space for Him to continue working in our lives.
Our Deepest Needs
Summer is a beautiful time to practice intentional living. With loose schedules and relaxed vibes, it’s the time of year that invites us to take a deep breath and re-evaluate our priorities. Late sunsets mean more time with family and often more time to implement healthy habits. However, it can be difficult to hold onto those habits as the seasons change. As school commutes and tight schedules return. As the holiday season starts to haunt us three months early because we know it’s the most chaotic time of the year. It seems impossible to slow down, but it’s not impossible to find balance.
We must create space for what’s important to us – this is always the case. But as mothers, we tend to prioritize others. After all, the children need us. Husbands need us. Friends, coworkers, sister, brothers, etc. But we need us, too. We need us to hold space for the things that don’t just keep us going, but keep us spiritually sound and physically and mentally healthy.
Creating Space in Tight Places
What does it mean to create space for God? It doesn’t always mean long bible studies or church services. It also doesn’t mean we can just keep Him in the margins. How can we make Him a priority when we’re busy from sunrise to sunset, at which point we finally collapse into bed, exhausted from a long day?
By inviting Him to be a part of every minute of our day. Even in the chaos. Even in the exhaustion. He is there when you’re packing lunches in the morning. He is there on your evening commute. These things are a part of your daily rhythm, and He can be, too, if you’re intentional about it. You don’t have to set aside two hours and hide away in a closet just to spend time with Him. Take Him with you through the mundane tasks of your day. Create space within the time you already have.
Practical Ways to Create Space for God on Busy Days
Here are a few ways we can invite God into our busy lives:
Start small: Take five extra minutes in the morning to say a prayer for the day or meditate on a scripture. You can pair this with calming breathwork to increase nervous system resilience or do it over a warm cup of coffee.
Worship in Motion: Listen to a message or a worship set while everyone is getting ready in the morning. Use your work commute to worship while you’re stuck in the car. Before dropping the kids off, lead them in a short prayer.
Use Technology: Set reminders or use scripture and devotional apps that encourage daily use.
Connect with Family: Keep everyone at the table for a few extra minutes after dinner and do a devotional together. Or have an open discussion about religion and life.
Create a Routine: Start one faith-based routine every week that you can commit to. An evening walk, Sunday night family meetings, scripture reading by candlelight, or a small group. Whatever it is, make it one of your top priorities for the week.
Let Go of Guilt and Perfection
Quiet time doesn’t have to be spectacular. You don’t have to have a war room or prayer closet, or an hour-long devotional. Let go of the myth that your time with God needs to look or feel a certain way and focus on what you can do. He will meet you there.
Embrace progress over perfection. Maybe you collapsed in bed before you could read your bible, but you also had a wonderful prayer walk the day before. Maybe you didn’t pray with your kids every day this week, but you spent time in the Word and left feeling more peaceful than you have in a long time. That’s ok. It’s not a race, it’s a journey. And serving faithfully with what you have is what you’re called to do. Encourage yourself to do better, and give yourself grace when it feels like it’s not enough.
A Holistic Life is a Spirit-Led Life
Remember, a holistic approach to life is a well-rounded one, with God at the center of all of it. Creating space for God enriches every area of our lives and increases our well-being. When our lives are spiritually rooted, everything else has more purpose. More peace. Ground yourself and your daily habits in Him. “Commit your deeds to Yahweh, and your plans shall succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3)
Start Small, Stay Centered
It doesn’t matter how you create space for God in your busy schedule, as long as you do it. Yes, He’s the Creator of the universe. But He is also your Father. He wants to spend time with you. He wants you focused on what’s important – not lost in the day-to-day that’s going to fade away with this world. Remember we are here for a short time, and in that time, we are supposed to be preparing for eternity. That is the ultimate goal.
What’s one way you can create space for God in your life today?
