How to Practice Summer Soul Care
Are we practicing soul care?
Because it seems as though many of us are intentional to care for our body—our overall health and physical wellness.
But sometimes caring for our soul falls off the radar.
As mentioned in 10 of My Favorite Things About Summer, one of my favorite things about summer is the slower pace.
For most of us summer brings a more leisure and unhurried rhythm of life. Kids are out of school. We plan time off work to travel and go on vacation.
And we often gather with friends and family fostering intentional connection and recreation.
But in this slower pace and rhythm, the Lord also desires to teach us how to care for our soul. So here are some ideas for S-U-M-M-E-R soul care.
S – Satisfy our soul with what only God provides.
“For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” (Psalm 107:9, ESV)
“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” (Jeremiah 31:25, ESV)
Like we long to vacation at the beach, hope to relax at a tropical resort, or desire to fill our summer with joyful activities, our soul longs for good things as well. The Lord wants us to slow down long enough to spend time in His presence. And ask God to satisfy, fill, and replenish our soul with His goodness.
The Lord wants us to slow down long enough to spend time in His presence. Ask God to satisfy, fill, and replenish our soul with His goodness. #soul #care Click To TweetU – Understand the role Scripture plays in our soul’s wellness.
“My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!” (Psalm 119:28, ESV)
“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” (Psalm 19:7a, ESV)
Just as many physical activities in summer like swimming, biking, hiking, walking, and sports, strengthen our physical bodies, the Word of God revives and strengthens our soul.
Discover the remaining ways to practice summer soul care—”M-M-E-R”—over at my friend Joy Williams’ blog. This article is featured on her “Joy to the Soul Summer” series.
*Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Legacy Linkup/Inspire Me Monday/Kingdom Bloggers/Literacy Musings/Tell His Story/Purposeful Faith/Abounding Grace/Welcome Heart/Recharge Wednesday/Porch Stories/Destination Inspiration/Worth Beyond Rubies/Tune in Thursday/Sitting Among Friends/Heart Encouragement/Embracing the Unexpected/Fresh Market Friday/Faith On Fire/Dance With Jesus and Faith and Friends.
© 2019 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
Amen. I pray I will slow down and pause and enjoy His creations and His blessings. This morning, the sun is shining in the Low Country of SC and there is a gentle breeze. Beautiful.
Sounds beautiful, Melissa. “For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” (Jeremiah 31:25, ESV) Thanks for commenting.
I love this message. It’s so important to care for ourselves. We get so busy in the other seasons that, when we get the more relaxed pace of summer, it’s easy to let other things distract us. Feeding our souls is crucial. Thanks, Karen, and God bless!
Thank you, Nancy. We often let soul care fall off our radar. But feeding our soul is important or else we’re starving spiritually. “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” (Psalm 107:9, ESV)
We do need to care for ourselves. I love the phrase “soul care”. Heading over to read the rest of the post…
Appreciate you reading the full post at Joy’s, Laurie. When it comes to soul care, we do our job by making time to be in the Lord’s presence, seeking Him, and He does His job by restoring and refreshing our soul with His goodness!
Always good to “smell the roses” and “Feed the Soul” Ms. Karen. Thanks for sharing ma’am.
Yes it is, J.D. “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.” (Psalm 103:1, NIV)
Left a comment at Joy’s place, but not sure it took. I loved this today, Karen!
Blessings!
Martha, I’ll head over Joy’s to see. Thanks for reading and commenting! When we take our eyes off others and ourselves and look up to the Lord; and when we magnify the Lord instead of life’s cares and burdens, our soul thrives instead of just survives.
Thanks for all these link ups. That’s a great resource. Since our kids all entered adulthood, summer is a busier time of year than the school year. It took me years to adjust to that new norm. Summertime is now when the kids can travel easiest and when we plan get-togethers. Plus, author projects are year round. With a family wedding and two novels coming out this fall, this has been a particularly busy summer. Yet, when we lived in the north, we managed more outside time, attempting to recover from the frozen tundra winter. Now that we’re in the south, and it’s ridiculously hot, we barely ever go outside in the summer. It’s a strange situation. Hopefully, we’ll adjust.
Melinda, it does sound like you’ve had to adjust to different summers. Whatever the circumstances we find ourselves in today whether summer or any season, may we really let the Lord revive and strenghten our soul.“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:1-3a, ESV)
Amen, Karen! Who doesn’t need this, “For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”
Thanks for giving us some great Scriptures and links to meditate upon for “soul care.”
I know I need it, Beckie! Thank you for commenting. “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.” (Psalm 62:1, NIV)
I’ve been “running on empty” all summer, Karen, so this was a really GREAT thing for me to read today. Thank you for the encouragement. We MUST slow down and tend to our soul.
Thankful this encouraged you, Jessica. Sometimes the summer isn’t a slower pace of life, but one in which we run at breakneck speed. “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:11, NIV)
Since I teach a large Bible study from September to May, I always have a list of projects to complete during the summer break. So far this summer, I have not completed anything on that list, but I’ve come to realize that’s okay. Instead, it has been a summer of cutting myself some slack…and it feels good. Now I can put a name to it: summer soul care!
That’s so great, Ava…the Bible study and taking some time off. Glad you cut yourself some slack and took time for God to replenish your soul!
Great post! Thank you for this wonderful reminder to slow down and to focus on God.
Hey. S.A. I really appreciate you commenting and sharing your thoughts. May the Lord himself continue to remind us the importance of taking great care of our soul.
Oh Karen, I love how you called this “soul care”. We all understand the importance of caring for our bodies with healthy nutrition, exercise and rest, but soul care, that takes it to a whole new level! “Just as many physical activities in summer like swimming, biking, hiking, walking, and sports, strengthen our physical bodies, the Word of God revives and strengthens our soul.” Such truth. How His Word does indeed revive my soul. When I rush off into activities or a “to do list” without pausing to read the Bible and connect with the Lord in prayer, I am like a dried up weed. May we pause with God and His Word first and most, for there is no soul care like His to refresh us! Bless you and your heart for the Lord Jesus!
Hi Melissa, thank you, and I love your analogy of being “like a dried up weed” when we are not pausing to spend time with the Lord in prayer or His Word. That’s good, and helps us picture the state of our soul when it is thirsty for more of God! “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” (Psalm 19:7a, ESV) Blessings!
I love the focus on soul care. And in summer my soul always seems to slip through the sun-filled cracks between fun and getting things done. I wrote about summer this week too! So grateful for the chance to be intentional and thoughtful in the middle of summer to enjoy it!
Hey Rebecca, I like your line “my soul seems to slip through the sun-filled cracks between fun and getting things done.” I think we all relate somewhat to that experience. That natural tug in summer calling us to come out and play and make the most of this opportunity. And those are all good things. I just pray to also choose the best thing…soul care…first.
Seek true satisfaction in Jesus alone. That’s the phrase our pastor repeats over and over again. As I read about soul care that is what comes to mind. We can fill our soul with lots of things and still feel empty. What we need is more Jesus.
So true, Tiffany. Your pastor is spot on. I like to say, 100% satisfaction guaranteed deep in our soul only comes from Christ. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Beautiful bible verses for soul care. I love that you said, “satisfy your soul with what only God can provide.” We all have a propensity to search for filling in other places, but God alone satisfies our soul. Thank you for sharing:)
Agree! God is the only one who satisfies a hungry and thirsty soul with a 100% satisfaction guarantee! Thanks for commenting.
Thanks for this, Karen. It’s so easy to lose ourselves in all the busyness of summer.
Michele, I like to see summer as a slower rhythm of life and let the Lord teach me how this models soul care!