Take a Load Off

Jim and I just got back from 4 days at the beach in Moclips, Washington. I hadn't even heard of the town until about three weeks ago when I did a google search on beach houses for rent. I knew exactly what I was looking for: a house with big windows that looked out onto the beach with no dunes in the way of the view. Well, it wasn't nearly as easy to find a place like this as I thought it would be, however I finally found the perfect place! (If anyone wants to know of a great, relaxing, quiet and affordable vacation rental on the Washington coast, let me know).

The week leading up to Jim and my vacation was crazy busy. Jim has been training a new coworker, and he needed to get him up to speed and able to be completely on his own before we took off.  My book is coming out next month, and I can't believe how many last minute chores are involved in having a book published. Lots and lots of work but so exciting at the same time!

Anyway, we were extra busy the week prior to leaving, and boy were we in need of a good vacation and some down time!

And we got it! It was beautiful. It was serene. It was quiet (so quiet-no cell phone reception whatsoever).

It wasn't nearly long enough, but it will have to do until the next time we can get away together.  The one thing it did do was give us some much-needed oomph to get back to the busyness and crazyness of life. We are ready to take it on again, this time with a little more energy and quite a bit more patience.

God knows we need these kinds of breaks periodically. It's not always possible to go somewhere and pay for a hotel or a rental cottage, but we can all schedule some down time into our lives. Turn off the TV. Shut down the cell phones and just relax. Talk. Read. Listen to the quiet. It's hard to do sometimes because we are so used to staying busy, doing a bunch of nothing and running from one thing to another.

Try it. Choose one day this week, and make it your Sabbath. It doesn't have to be on a Sunday. If all you can pull off is one quiet evening this week, then do that. Notice how it revives you and centers you. Use the time to really talk to God or your spouse or your children. Take the time to write in your journal or snuggle up with a cup of tea and just watch the fire in the fire place.

Give yourself a mini Sabbath or a full Sabbath this week, and see how it refreshes your soul.  You may even decide to make a habit of it.