Doing Vacation Differently

Over the past few weeks as we've been preparing for our trip, God has been asking me a question over and over. It goes something like this: Given everything Annie and I have learned over this last year about life, God, our hearts, worship, and so much else, how does that change how we do vacation?

The typical way of doing vacation seems to go something like this. We rush through our lives for fifty weeks out of the year, leave the house feeling more than a little guilty over all the unfinished business we've left behind, try to cram as much fun/relaxation/rest into two weeks and then come home and jump back into the rat race only to feel burned out again after five minutes back in it.

As I thought about the question and the problem it addressed it seemed to me that what was really missing from that whole miserable equation is God. I think so often we leave him out of stuff like vacations and rest. A lot of us even feel guilty about rest and feel like we need to try and hide it from God. It all seems so selfish. Never once do we stop to consider that He cares for our hearts, that He delights in showing us the beauty of life, and that maybe those two weeks where we slow down is just the opportunity He's been waiting for to get a hold of us.

You see, when we leave God out of something like rest there's a subtle shift that happens in our hearts. We look to the trip, instead of to Him, as our source of comfort and rest. We don't trust Him to provide the rest we need so we try to make it happen on our own. That's a dangerous shift, idolatrous even, and one I know I've been guilty of many times.

With all that in mind, here are a few things I'm doing to try and avoid the typical vacation trap. First, I'm making a real effort in prayer before I leave to bring the time before God and invite Him into it. I want Him to meet me intimately during vacation and that won't happen unless I've prepared my heart before I go.

Second, I'm recognizing the spiritual battle surrounding this trip. Lest we forget, let me remind us all that there is an enemy who has a vested interest in us not inviting God into this (or any other) area of our lives. The warfare has really started raging since God started walking me through this a couple of weeks ago. I don't expect it to stop anytime soon but knowing I can fight it and (more importantly) knowing God is faithful throughout all of it makes all the difference in the world.

Third, God is leading me into a deeper, different lifestyle during the rest of the year. Slowly I'm learning to stop striving and start trusting. I'm making time for Him and not just blasting through life. That makes such a huge difference when it comes to vacation. No longer does it need to be my way of recharging the batteries for the rest of the year. It stops being an escape from life and starts being just another part of life. Once I've lowered the stakes on vacation and stopped asking it to be everything for me, then God can make it what He wants it to be and reach my heart in a richer deeper way.

I say all of this as someone who is still learning and still growing. I'm excited to see what God is going to do. If you're going anywhere this summer I'd encourage you to take time and invite God into your trip. The difference may surprise you and, better still, you'll see just how passionate He is about caring for your heart.