Vacation For the Soul

Overwhelmed.

Worn Out.

Tired.

Exhausted.

Spent.

Broken.

Lonely.

Misunderstood.

What word describes you when life takes it’s toll on your heart? Where can you be found? One of these words….all of them?

I often hear people talk about how they need a “vacation.”  I know what they mean. They mean life has gotten too huge – too fast – too busy. They can’t keep up and they feel like they are spinning their wheels. They feel overwhelmed, worn out, tired, exhausted, spent, broken, lonely, or misunderstood. They just want to collapse and stop. STOP.

I know the feeling of wanting to stop. You feel like you’re on a ride and you can’t get off. It just keeps going and it won’t even slow down long enough for you to catch your breath.

For me – I’ve found that a vacation often doesn’t fix things. For one thing, I’m a mom. Vacation isn’t really a “vacation.” It’s simply relocation for a few days or weeks. Mom still has to be on duty. And you have extra “duty” when you return! No – vacation is simply time in a different locale for the most part.

I HAVE found a place to get vacation for my heart and soul though.  It’s with the Lord. I know – I can hear some of you groaning. But you know what I’ve discovered? Sometimes the last thing we want to do, is the very thing we need the most.  There have been nights where I have literally dragged my tired body to church for ladies Bible Study only to leave recharged and touched to the core. It was the place I needed to be the most. And God knew that – so He spoke to me.

Bible Study. Church. Devotions. Simply quiet time with God. These are the places where I have found a vacation for my heart and soul. I have been invigorated, encouraged, renewed, refueled, and revitalized. I have been given the strength and energy I sought to get through another day – another week. I have been given peace of mind. Support. Love.  A good listener. God has reached into my life and touched it with His perfect combination for that moment and time. Time and time again.

In fact, it’s the only vacation that truly has given me the tangible tools I’ve needed to focus on what is going on around me, what my priorities are, and what needs to be changed. Disneyland can’t do that for me – as much as I love it!

Our hearts need occasional vacations. The world is moving so fast and furious anymore. We need that breath of fresh air blown into our minds, our souls, and our bodies.  If we can just reach out for those things that seem like a little bit of effort – time with God, bible study, church, etc – the effort will disappear into reward as our parched bodies get the nourishment they’ve been hungering for.

Try it.