“Vacation – noun, from the Latin ‘vacatio’ meaning freedom; the freedom from any activity; a rest; a respite; an intermission; a period of rest and freedom from work or study; a time of recreation.”
It has been nice being welcomed back to the church after vacation the last few Sundays. Of course, being a minister, I only work on Sundays and only until noon at that, but it is nice to get a break from the routine every once in a while. Many have asked where we went on vacation and the answer is nowhere. Oh, we got away on a short junket the last few days of my time off, but most of the time we stayed home and caught up on projects that have been on our “to do” list for way too long.
This all came about when my two sons (both in their 20’s and living away from home) gave me their slave labor for a few days. This developed into a plan to lay travertine tile in the master bathroom and St. Augustine sod in the backyard. Some vacation! In defense of my seeming insanity, I had planned to be the supervisor over these projects and simply direct my sons in what to do next. You would think, after twenty-seven years of fatherhood, I would have learned better. They worked hard, but being twice their age calculated into me being twice as tired and sore. The amount of sweat I released broke every rule in the clergy code of conduct. Looking at the above definition makes me think I failed vacation miserably.
However, I have to admit, as strange as it might sound, it turned out to be a time of freedom from the everyday routine and pressures. It was restful in that my mind could take a break from creating worship bulletins, sermons and Moments with Mollet. It was a respite from what can become ordinary, usual, normal, common and it gave me the opportunity to look at things fresh again. It was recreation, not in the sense of play and fun, but a time of re-creation – giving God the opportunity to create in me again. I enjoyed the time I spent with my boys. That time gets more precious every day. And it was good to do some manual labor. For this pencil-pusher it was good to feel the muscles I don’t use as much as I should.
Coming back from vacation also helps me realize that the stuff I leave behind to go on vacation will always be awaiting me on my return. The work I left was still on my desk when I got back. The problems of the world still existed. The hurts in people’s lives were still present. No matter how long and far we go, we cannot run from the realities of our lives. However, the good news of the gospel is that God never takes a vacation. God lives through the pain and problems with us. We are never left to take on the whole load ourselves. (Read Psalm 139:1-18) I guess it was good that my sons were there to help me through these projects. Otherwise, I’d probably be dead. Shared burdens are always more bearable.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment