I just got home from a family vacation in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They are gorgeous and therapeutic and I feel rested. Did you know that rest is godly? Sabbath is defined as abstinence from work and pages and pages have been written on this subject. God himself rested on the seventh day of creation and not because he was tired. The Bible repeatedly tells us that He never slumbers or sleeps. He rested as an example to us because we need rest.
Besides rest, travel is educational. Learning new things and experiencing new places often pushes us beyond our comfort zone, quite possibly teaching us something new about ourselves. I am embarrassed to admit that I originally thought the Sierra Nevada Mountains were a subset of the Rockies.
Vacations give us distance from normal responsibilities and time to reflect. The beauty and creativity of God is awe-inspiring. The Lake Tahoe region is so different from the forests of Virginia, yet both are so beautiful.
Vacations give us quality time and shared memories with our family. It was fun to see my children brave the frigid water and scramble up the side of a huge boulder to proudly stand at the top. One of our best memories is getting caught in a thunderstorm with quarter-sized hail while rafting down the Truckee River. We saw the storm cloud and heard the thunder, but decided to take our chances. This was the only gambling we did in Nevada... and boy, did we LOSE!
Travel also reminds us that there are millions of people in this big world. Shockingly enough, many of them do not look like me or live like me. But the Savior died for them, too. Resist the temptation to focus on just your little circle. Be missional.
Finally, being away from home helps us to appreciate our home and our normal routine that we often take for granted. Sometimes it is difficult to find the time or money to take a vacation, but the benefits are so worthwhile. If you are not able to take a trip this summer, be sure you take time to rest before fall begins. Rest is godly.
Jen Willard
August 18, 2020
