Vacation

I love vacations. I know that seems like a simple statement, but it is accurate. My wife and I do not take enough vacations. We like to travel and see new things, but most of the time our trips are to visit the grandchildren or to attend. Trust me when I say those visits are worth every moment. Though they are almost monthly, they do not seem to come around enough. However, they are not the same as vacations.

We do not plan every moment of our vacations. Some people stick to rigid schedules. That is not us. We may schedule a couple of things and wing the rest.  This time our plan was only to go south of Miami to see friends for the weekend. The rest of the trip was to see what else there was to do on the way.

We began our trip in St. Augustine, Florida. It is the oldest city in our nation. I was here for a night back in 1984, but it has certainly changed since that time. It has become much more touristy. There was so much to enjoy about this place. We visited the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum finding the story of a pirate that shares my last name. We walked through the historical Spanish fort, the Castillo de San Marcos. I especially enjoyed the tour of the Colonial Quarter which covered the 16th through the 18th century.

Miami was HOT which is not a surprise. The amount of traffic was also crazy. However, spending time with friends and visiting The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens was well worth driving the 28-hour round-trip.

The thing I enjoyed the most on our vacation was time with my wife. She is a magnificent person, which is kind of why I married her. However, between work, hobbies, and the hustle and bustle of daily living the time spent away from it all allows us just to be together.

I love spending time with my wife. It does not matter if we are doing anything or just sitting there. I love her, and I love the togetherness. While we have similarities in our likes and dislikes, there are many more ways in which we are different. Yet, we find things that we can do together. She is indeed my best friend.  The few vacations that we have allows me to experience life together without distractions.

We are all busy. Life does not slow down for anyone. Sometimes we need to get away to see what is important. Smell the roses, visit the beach, and enjoy a sunset. The beauty of this world far exceeds the ugliness on which so many people focus. We need to stop getting distracted. Focus on what is important.

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

That verse does not say to think about the troubles in the world. It never mentions criticizing everyone who disagrees with you. Sometimes we need to step away and think about what we have been thinking about. Have our thoughts and words been productive?

Just like I enjoy spending time alone with my wife, God enjoys spending time with us. No matter what is going on in the world, He has time for us. We forget to spend time with God, but we must use the time we have. Get away from all of your trials and tribulations and just be with God. Give Him all of your troubles. He loves you even more than I love my wife. Sometimes she thinks she is a burden to me, but she is not. She is a great joy to be around. God feels the same way about you. You are not a burden. You are loved. 

REFRESHED

For the last several years, I have worked very long days and became used to very little sleep. I amazed to what the human body can become accustomed. During the little time that I did get off, I would try to find something entertaining and relax if nothing important was pressing. I took a nap on most of those days. However, during those naps, I would only get about five minutes of actual sleep. It was enough to refresh me for the next few hours.

I took a vacation last week. The first three days of vacation, I attended a conference. Now I know most people do not consider that a vacation, but it is a time that I am able to see some friends that I only see once a year. It is also a time to get away from all the responsibilities at home. I used the remainder of my vacation playing tourist in my hometown. I enjoyed several things for the first time or for the first time in a long time.

Some people never take vacations. They do not want to fall behind at work. They have too many responsibilities. Vacations are too expensive. I have heard all of these excuses and more. However, I believe time off would benefit everyone. The companies that hired us survived before we worked there, and they will survive while we are gone. I believe the benefits of taking a break outweigh the troubles we think it may cause.

Physically, the rest is refreshing. I may have only slept six or seven hours a night while on vacation, but that is much more than I normally get. I feel refreshed. I feel awake. I am ready to start the day with more energy than I have in a while. I feel like I can do much more now than I did only a week ago with the renewed energy.

Mentally, I was able to reset. I enjoy my job, but sometimes it is a strain. I was able to separate myself from my job. None of the worries consumed me. I have not always been able to get away and not think about the problems waiting for my return. There are times I had to force myself not to think about the job, but my mind was mostly job-free. I thought about the questions “where to eat”, “what to do”, and “do I want to get out of bed”. This week was a much-needed mental vacation that allowed me to rid myself of certain frustrations and attitudes that had become a part of me.  

A person has three parts: body, mind, and spirit. Often, we take care of the first two but forget about the most important part.

This week was also a spiritual refreshing. It was a time when I could step away and appreciate what God has done for me. It was a time to get my mind off me and look closer at God. Too often, we focus on what and who we are rather than how great He is.

When we take a break, let us not forget to take care of the whole person. Do not think the world will fall apart without you. When you return, you can be refreshed. You can come back with more energy. You can have new or renewed vision. You can even have an improved attitude.

Take some time to take care of yourself.