Wonder, Adventure, Rest
This week my family is going on a mini-vacation. 2020 caused the cancellation of many of our plans which resulted in airline vouchers that needed to be used. So rather impulsively we planned a 5 day get away to Florida, and then Christmas delivered a couple of days of park passes. This long weekend getaway also happens to coincide with our youngest’ birthday, and so we will celebrate and relax and have a little adventure too. I love vacations, I love sunshine, and I especially love relaxed time away from the daily to-do list at home.
As January is often a time of reflection, I am also reflecting on family vacations. They’ve changed over the years. When the kids were little, it was about sleeping in, seeing the world through their eyes, sharing the daily needs of young children with my husband. As they grew it was about adventure, matching their energy as we explored new things, seeing, experiencing, and doing as much as we could. And now that they are older, it’s a chance for all of us to be together for more than a few hours at a time. It’s watching my adult children become kids again as they wrestle with their siblings, it’s random conversations and laughter, it’s a little adventure, a lot of connection, and time to rest and recharge. We used to come back from vacations exhausted, needing a vacation from our vacation, that’s less true now. We are learning. We are learning to balance work and play, adventure and rest, joy and peace.
I reflect on this and my journey with Jesus. My journey with Jesus looks a lot like our family vacations. In the early years I saw a new world with awe and wonder, soaked up learning like a sponge, spent every available moment being fed and nurtured and exploring this new life. Then came the busy years, the years of serving and striving. Learning more, doing more, being better, working harder, being needed, and being tired. Then the seasons of understanding, of being present in the moment, of resting in Jesus, and of healing. And just like the dynamics of our family vacations, I am learning. I am learning to walk in the balance. Learning to see a world of awe & wonder, learning to chase the heart of God and whatever adventure He is leading me to, learning to stop and rest in Him and allow Him to recharge me. I am learning to balance work and play, adventure and rest, joy and peace.
A friend once told me that he strives to live the kind of life he doesn’t need a vacation from. I appreciate the sentiment and wisdom of his words. I would also like to find that balance, to not need a vacation from my life, but that doesn’t rule out taking a vacation. I don’t need to escape my life as much as I want a new perspective. To see thru eyes of wonder, to listen with an undistracted heart, to experience without the time constraints of our daily schedule. And Jesus knows that. He knows how time away draws me to see Him differently. He knows what the laughter of my kids does to my heart, He knows what floating in warm water does for my soul. And He continues to gift us these unplanned getaways, these moments set apart, because He knows and understands me and He also continues to teach me more about Him and more about me every time.
How are you doing in this area? Are you living a life you don’t need a vacation from? Where does God take you to reawaken awe and wonder? Where does He call you to adventure? Where does he take you to rest? How are you doing in the balance?
