Vacations

I love vacations. From the trip to Washington DC to the summer camping trips, my family did a pretty good job taking vacations when I was a kid. They weren't over the top, and my parents were sure to go on the most expensive vacations just the two of them (which is totally going to be my personal philosophy as a parent), but the little 3 day trips and the 7 day trips alike instilled in me a love for vacations. I'm about to board a plane all night and fly from Sacramento to New York, then finally to Boston late Friday morning and see some of our closest friends for a few days.

But my point here is not to flaunt the fact that I get to go on a vacation and you don't. My point is that vacations are important - really, really important. If we don't take breaks - whether they are one or six days - we will die. I don't know if you'll really live a shorter life because you don't take vacations, but I do think something in you will die if you don't take breaks. It's easy to believe that, in our go-go-go society, resting and stopping for fun and relaxation is more of a waste than a benefit. But it's not true - you need vacations, times to rest, reflect, see new things and visit loved ones. They are good for the soul and need to be planned. In my opinion, they are every bit as important as eating and drinking for your survival.

What happens when we take vacations? We get restored. We get rejuvenation. We may get inspiration. We get a renewed sense of our finiteness... as we go around to other places and see people living our lives just like we live out ours, we realize that while on one hand we live in a small world (you can call someone in China right now if you'd like, which is pretty wild), on the other hand it's a great big world and we have a great big God. He has created all people in his image, not just those in Placer county. And I'm thankful for that realization. I don't need to travel across the country in order to realize it's a big world and God is a big God, but doing so definitely is a powerful reminder.

Vacations are good for you.... plan one, save up for it, and go on it. Take the time off. Take the kids out of school for a couple days (not that I condone lying as to why your kids aren't at school). Go off with your spouse and enjoy life, the life God has granted to you. The life that is not guaranteed or deserved. Do it. Seriously.