My husband always says the very best night of the year is the first night of an extended vacation. Not Christmas Eve, not his birthday, not even the NCAA Basketball Finals – all are trumped by that night of expectation before a break. I’m not sure what this says about how he feels about his work! Actually, though Warren loves his ministry in serving the under-resourced, I realize that he’s just plain tired. And we were created to take time to rest. The Europeans, Australians, and Canadians all seem to grasp the concept of extended time off much better than we Americans. Most people in the U.S. don’t take more than a week off at once, and most of us leave days of unused vacation on the table. Am I the only one who thinks this is a problem? I haven’t even mentioned the fact that most people who take a vacation don’t really disconnect anymore because their e-mail and cell phone follows them everywhere and they never mentally and emotionally unhook from thoughts about work.
So today, July 1, marks the start of a one month break my husband and I are taking. (I love that word, taking, because it’s a strong verb that sounds like we are highly intentional!). Most of the month we will actually be at home, with just a few days out of town. I intend to stop blogging, and to only rarely check e-mails. This fast from technology is, admittedly, easier for me than for many others because I don’t really like all that tech connection anyway. But it will still be a discipline to focus my mind, heart, and soul on that which so rarely gets my attention. I want to slow down and breathe and take long walks and read slowly and sit across the table from loved ones lingering in conversation. I want to reflect on this past year – where God has taken me and where He might be leading next. I want to sleep and laugh and eat and run…ok, I really don’t want to run but if I’m going to eat, I have to run!
So early August, I’ll be back on the net. Until then, may you seize the wonders of your days this summer. May you find moments of refreshment and peace. And may all of us end up loving God and others with greater passion and energy because, for a time, we have chosen to rest.
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