It’s over. This is my last day of vacation time spent in Southern California. In a couple hours I will catch a plane that will fly me back home to Georgia. We returned to our native land on the west coast to attend and celebrate our oldest daughter’s graduation from college. Christi and I have been staying with some friends and I’m doing right now what many of you will be doing at some point this summer: Packing up. It’s over and that’s a good thing …. even from good things.
Whether you’re packing to leave or return, your vacation time this summer is much more than a work thing or even a leisure thing. It’s a God thing. According to the Bible, God computed into life the need for cycles. Cycles by nature imply a beginning and an end. Cycles create a natural break in our rhythm of the familiar, the common, and the habitual. God modeled this life law at the beginning of time at creation. After six days of creating, he rested. Resting wasn’t “nothing”. On the contrary, it was “something”, and something different from what he was doing before. God intentionally broke from the routine.
Now certainly God did not need to rest. This intentional break was not for him. It was a model and pattern for us to follow. God wanted the 7th day to be different; a rest from the familiarity of work. This was more than just the precedent for the Hebrew Sabbath. It was intended to be a law woven into our DNA as people. In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon’s life wisdom shadowed God’s ordained calendar for life: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: He has made everything beautiful in its time.” He then identifies a long list of extreme pendulum swing changes we experience. These seasons in life produce a necessary change that God knew we would need. It’s a part of our makeup and a basic human need to break from the routine.
To avoid such break in our life rhythm would be to go counter to the God-given bent and flow in our human blueprint. Those who know how to “mix it up” are envied for the fresh spirit that characterizes their life. They find the beauty and significance in the moment. They own an excitement about discovery and learning. They possess a great capacity to care about others. They laugh hard and cry easily. They express a softness in their approach while remaining solid in their convictions. They enjoy a genuine appreciation for small things. They spark with creativity and courage. They lead with a profound simplicity and clarity. They are fun to be with. And best yet, they hear and see God in the details. Creating intentional cycles in our routine will rejuvenate our life in this way. I promise.
This summer it’s imperative that we intentionally find ourselves coming or going from our regular schedules. I’m not sure what our summer break will look like. We could find ourselves on a hike, kick’n it with friends, at a water park, cheering at a baseball game, sightseeing, gliding on a Wave Runner, enjoying a great restaurant, or reading a book at Starbucks. However you break from the routine, remember that rest, fun, and enjoyment is serious business with God.
Yup, vacation is over and that’s a good thing …. even from good things.
2 comments:
Thanks Pastor Mat,I needed to read this posting. I have been a little stressed that I have not been getting "stuff" done this summer, but I need to realize that it is my season to take a little break. Perhaps that means to be a little less productive than normal for me.
Yes, rest is serious business. It's amazing how you can hear God more clearly when you obey His command of rest!
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