Coming Back to Basics

There's something about summer that makes me relaxed, rested, and quite frankly... Lazy. I stay inside most days, alternating between watching reruns of children's shows and trying to make up for the lack of pleasure reading time during the school year. (More of that to come later.) Worst of all, I become rather lethargic in my relationships. I've only seen my best friend and my twin once this summer. I rarely talk, text, or Facebook anyone. Of course, living thirty minutes away from town doesn't help either. It's pathetic.

However, even more distressing is my relationship with God and how the summer of relaxation affects it. This year, especially, my faith has been taking a hit. Between struggling with finishing my math book, organizing my school's first prom, and registering for my first college classes, the Lord took a backseat in my priorities. (Never EVER a good sign. After all, He should always be in the driver's seat!) Perhaps that's why I haven't blogged for months... I would feel like a hypocrite for posting something about boosting your faith when I couldn't even that accomplish that.

But now, I feel like I'm coming back to where I was spiritually before life started to, in a way, suffocate me.

After I watched Soul Surfer this Sunday (a very good inspirational movie where a Christian surfer questions her beliefs),  I couldn't get it out of my head--specifically  the scene where Bethany Hamilton was attacked by a shark. It really scared me. *Just as a disclaimer or something of that sort, I personally can easily freaked out by a movie. I try to stay as far away from scary movies as much as possible.* The night after I watched it with my family, I woke up various times of the night, barely able to go back to sleep with the thoughts of the shark in my head.

The next night, I decided to do something about it: go to the one person I knew can always comfort me. Jesus. I opened my Bible for the first time in months outside of church and turned to the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11). My NIV translation read...

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." --Hebrews 11:1

I slept soundly that night, certain that the Lord is watching and protecting me and sure that He would give me peace. Maybe being able to sleep doesn't sound very pivotal to you, but feeling a sense of security and calmness that only comes from above always astounds me. All I have to say is this: God is good all the time.

When you're in a spiritual funk, how does God call you back to him?