(This post was written by Matt Grimes, Middle School Ministry Pastor)

Just the other night, as I was driving home from Poolside Bible Study with our Middle School Students, I had the opportunity to take one of our upcoming 6^th grade boys home.  As we were driving, I asked him if he was excited about going back to school.  Without hesitation, he told me that he couldn’t wait to get back to school to hang out with his friends.  Going back to school is something exciting that he is looking forward to.

As I think back on my time in school, I was the same way.  I always looked forward to going back to school with excitement.  On the surface, my answer was the same – I couldn’t wait to get back to hanging out with friends.  But deep down there was a part of me that also enjoyed the return to routine.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the lazy days of summer as well as the chaos, but after three months of it, I was ready for some consistency.  I enjoyed the fact that each day I would see the same people and knew what was going to happen that day.

Even today, summers are crazy for me, and a part of me still enjoys the start of school again.  It’s the transition from chaos to structure.  For example, at home we haven’t been to the store in over three months for groceries.  We have eaten out almost every meal… and that’s just the weeks we are actually in town, not on a mission trip or youth trip.  Secretly, I look forward to school starting back.  I am looking forward to returning to the routine of eating dinner at home Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights.  I am looking forward to spending Friday’s cleaning around the house and going to the grocery store to get the food for meals the next week.  I am looking forward to having time with my wife each night during the week.  I am looking forward to getting back into the routine.

My question for you is what does your routine look like?  More importantly, how are you ensuring that God fits into that routine?  Are you making God time an important part of your personal routine, and your family’s routine?

Remember, routines can help us grow, so make sure to put the right things into them.

Looking forward to returning to the routine!