By Deac. Mary J. Moerbe
Mary J. Moerbe is an LCMS deaconess and writer. She blogs to encourage Lutherans to write at “Meet, Write, and Salutary,” and her books can be found on the website of Concordia Publishing House.
Summer reading challenges first caught my eye once my
children started to read. Suddenly a challenge for them could mean an
easier time for me. But now I’ve grown very fond of the summer reading
challenge precisely because it is something I can do for myself.
As a young mother, I hear the phrase “take care of
yourself” frequently. Frankly, it reminds me of a joke: “Out of all my body
parts I feel like my eyes are in the best shape. I do at least a thousand
eye-rolls a day.” If I always knew how to take care of myself, I wouldn’t be in
such need for self-care. And if I had time to pursue what I wanted to, I
wouldn’t need to be reminded to do so.
Reading, however, is both outlet and inlet. Out flow the
noise and frustrations of the moment. Out flow the multitasking,
decision-making, and multi-relational aspects of the day. In flows a renewed
awareness of detail, relationship, character development, and the passage of
time.
A reading challenge need not hinge on the prescription of
others that one ought to read such-and-so-many books. It can be both extremely
personal and entirely open, tailorable to one’s own needs and situations.
Here’s a set of summer
reading challenges that I made up for you to consider this year. There are
neither prizes nor pressure, just the promise that the house will be ok if you
read a while today. The people in your house may seem a little less demanding
if you can find a little space in a book and a little time for yourself. And
you may really benefit from just having your feet up and your eyes off a
screen.
Ultimately, the challenge in a summer reading challenge
isn’t finding and reading books. The challenge is choosing to seek personal
time, personal development, and emotional catharsis. It’s a reason to get
out of the house to go to the library or to pursue a little literary retail
therapy.
Reading friends, I can’t raise a glass to you all. That
would have disastrous consequences! I can, however, raise a page, a paragraph,
and the footrest of our recliner, wishing you all the very best this summer and
always. May all the blessings of Christ be yours, as well as a girls’ summer
reading challenge, if you are up for it.
***
Mary J. Moerbe is an LCMS deaconess and writer. She blogs to encourage Lutherans to write at “Meet, Write, and Salutary,” and her books can be found on the website of Concordia Publishing House.
Yes! I set reading goals for myself at the beginning of every season, and they really help me stay focused and intentional with what I read, plus I get a sense of accomplishment every time I check off a book read. Reading is one of the ways I refresh myself emotionally and mentally, and I can really tell a difference in my attitude toward others when I'm not reading enough.
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