Give me a break!

I'll be headed out soon for some vacation time with my family.  I'm looking forward to that time immensely.  We'll spend quiet mornings walking along the beach with the sand squishing up through our toes.  The cool water will refresh us and we will do our best to take in all the beauty.  Even the sounds and smells of the ocean town we're staying in will help us to relax and refresh.  I've got the next 2 books from my reading list all picked out to finally attack.  We're meeting dear friends from a former church I served in, so the fellowship time will be delightful as well.

Mostly though; I'm looking forward to just taking a break.

The last time I took "time off" like this from my ministry was last Thanksgiving.

I'm sitting here mulling over the reasons for that this morning.

  • Is it because I think my ministry can't make it without me?  I've been at this long enough to realize that there will hardly be a hiccup while I'm gone.  No
  • Is it because nobody would let me take time away?  Nobody argued when I said when I would be leaving.  No
  • Is it because I am just so full of energy and gusto for life that I couldn't stand the idea of being away?  No
  • Is it because I felt guilty for taking some of the vacation time offered to me?  No.
There are several reasons that I haven't taken any vacation time in the last 6 months.  I can't list all of them here, but I can say this: it was mostly because I didn't think it was that important enough to plan it.  I realize that many people wait until summer to take their "big" vacations, but I haven't taken any vacation time in 6 months...just my usual day and a half off out of 7...well, most weeks anyway.  Now I'm weary not only in body, but also in mind and in spirit.  And I'm looking forward to that week away very much.

It doesn't even have to be "away," but we do need to take time "off."  We all need to learn the art of taking time to check out of the busyness of our lives and get a break.  I'm reminded of those words that Jesus gave to his disciples; "come apart and rest a while."  I've heard it repeated many times this way: If you don't take time to come apart; you'll find yourself coming apart.

Some might think that there is more glory in "burning out" for Jesus than there is in "rusting out."  First of all; I'm not talking about making a lifestyle of vacation.  But secondly, and even more poignant in my view is the fact that whether you burn out or rust out; you're still out.  I want to stay in for as long as I can.  Perhaps that's why I find my parents to be so inspiring.  Both now in their 80's; they are serving with all they have.  Both still teach Sunday school; are involved in the music of our church; counsel and encourage as they have opportunity; stay involved with their friends in fellowship and service; and they pray faithfully for me and my family.


If I'm going to still be faithful and active when I get to their age; I'm going to need to learn a little better how to take a break.

How about you?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Time for another change

            My wife and I have just stepped into a transition time.  This past Sunday, after our morning worship service, I read my resignation to our church family.  While it was something that had been brewing in our hearts for some time and something which we are supremely confident that God wanted us to do, it is still very difficult to declare an end to a pastoral relationship with people whom you have served with and loved for almost 9 years.  In some ways; it is made more difficult for us since we do not know yet where we are going next.  We are simply convinced that God has said "start walking; I'll let you know when you get there."  A good friend of mine sent me this quote from Francis Chan and it means a lot to me right now: "God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doe...
Read more

Still Walking...

Image
     Those of you familiar with our situation right now know that we have purposely put ourselves in a position where we will be in trouble if God doesn't come through.  That's a rough quote from a statement made by Francis Chan that I got from a friend a few weeks ago.  I'm still mulling over those words and have found myself enlivened and refreshed by their challenge.  It's funny how we see things more often when we are consciously thinking about them.  I was reading this morning from 1 Kings 17 about Elijah the prophet of God.  He was singularly used of God in a dramatic way.  He prayed and it stopped raining...for 3 years.  He prayed again and it rained.  He prayed and God raised a young man from the dead.  God did some incredible things through Elijah.      This morning I read the account of the widow that Elijah stopped to visit in the little town of Zarephath.  You're probably familiar with...
Read more

God is Good

     A little over a week from today, we'll all sit around a table filled with more food than we probably should consume in a day to celebrate a national holiday designed to focus our attention on the goodness of God to us over the previous year.      I thought I'd spend the next couple of posts talking a little about thanksgiving; not the holiday, but the attitude.  Thanksgiving always begins with a foundation of some sort.  For many people, thankfulness is directly connected to possessions and provisions.  When I have enough to pay the bills and some left over to have some nice things; I am thankful.  If, on the other hand, I am struggling month to month or I seem to have less than someone else that I am observing, then my thankfulness drops and I begin to be frustrated with something that is missing from my life.      When I approach thanksgiving from a different vantage point, I start to understand something very i...
Read more