I don’t know if I’m the only one who thinks this way, but I believe that a six-day trip/vacation is only three days. Day One and Day Six are spent in travel, in our case it’s driving, and it’s eight hours with stops along the way. That’s okay, I don’t mind the traveling, but having those four days in between is wonderful.
The real problem is that there’s so much to see and do. As for this trip, there were several Civil War historical sites, Washington, DC, sightseeing, and many other options. And among those just listed, there are countless choices. For instance, it is impossible to really see even one site in the capital. This trip, we visited the Natural History museum and Ford’s Theater. The other museums, monuments, and other choices just had to be put off.
Within a few miles of our Bed & Breakfast there are five different battlefields. We were only able to visit one. This evening, we had planned on visiting a little restaurant we found last year. We pulled into the parking lot, walked to the door, and saw a “For Sale” sign. Sometimes the best of plans just don’t work out.
But today was just what I’d call a “relaxing” day. I went out for about an hour, perused a local museum/shop, then came back and took a nap. The weather was slightly cool, in the mid-60s, with overcast skies. Today was the day with no schedules, no timetables or anything else. It was just a pulling together of all the fraying strands of everyday life and bringing them back into a somewhat stronger and rested rope. That probably didn’t make sense, but it’s kind of late as I write this.
At my church’s Wednesday evening Bible study, I have for several months been taking a look at the Snapshots of Mark, pictures of Jesus that Mark gives to us concerning who and what Jesus was, and how we can apply it to our own lives. In a recent study, we looked at Jesus as fully human, as was His disciples, and that they were at the point of exhaustion. Jesus knew this, and knew His disciples (and He Himself) were in need of some rest. That is something a pastor knows first-hand.
I’ve found it difficult to leave my congregation for an extended length of time, even just a week, because I love the people and the job so much. But one of my congregants said something to me a couple of years ago. She said, “How can you take care of us if you can’t take care of yourself?” She was saying that if I kept going without some time to rest my mind, spirit and body, I wouldn’t be much good to anyone. That was a good point, and made it easier to take a vacation.
We’ll be back on the road tomorrow, after a final breakfast at La Vista Plantation, headed toward the familiar sights and sounds of home. It will be good to be back, but I will miss this time. Still, I’m glad I was able to spend some quality time with my family, visiting some sites that were important to me, and get some rest.
But what it best about this trip is that I feel that I have grown closer to the Lord. He has helped me in the ways that I needed help, He has spoken the words to me that I needed to hear both for comfort and guidance. And through this trip, He has helped me to grow in my knowledge of the Scriptures.
If it is the Lord’s will, perhaps we will visit here once again in the spring, and bring some friends or family with us. For now, though, it’s one more night in our “home away from home” in the beautiful countryside of Virginia, and prayers for a safe journey ahead. I would encourage you to take some time, whether it’s a week, a day, or just an hour, and spend it with the Lord. Read a little of His Word, take a walk away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, enjoy the scenes of God’s creation, and just turn your mind and heart toward Him. I assure you that you’ll be glad you did.
© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.
The real problem is that there’s so much to see and do. As for this trip, there were several Civil War historical sites, Washington, DC, sightseeing, and many other options. And among those just listed, there are countless choices. For instance, it is impossible to really see even one site in the capital. This trip, we visited the Natural History museum and Ford’s Theater. The other museums, monuments, and other choices just had to be put off.
Within a few miles of our Bed & Breakfast there are five different battlefields. We were only able to visit one. This evening, we had planned on visiting a little restaurant we found last year. We pulled into the parking lot, walked to the door, and saw a “For Sale” sign. Sometimes the best of plans just don’t work out.
But today was just what I’d call a “relaxing” day. I went out for about an hour, perused a local museum/shop, then came back and took a nap. The weather was slightly cool, in the mid-60s, with overcast skies. Today was the day with no schedules, no timetables or anything else. It was just a pulling together of all the fraying strands of everyday life and bringing them back into a somewhat stronger and rested rope. That probably didn’t make sense, but it’s kind of late as I write this.
At my church’s Wednesday evening Bible study, I have for several months been taking a look at the Snapshots of Mark, pictures of Jesus that Mark gives to us concerning who and what Jesus was, and how we can apply it to our own lives. In a recent study, we looked at Jesus as fully human, as was His disciples, and that they were at the point of exhaustion. Jesus knew this, and knew His disciples (and He Himself) were in need of some rest. That is something a pastor knows first-hand.
I’ve found it difficult to leave my congregation for an extended length of time, even just a week, because I love the people and the job so much. But one of my congregants said something to me a couple of years ago. She said, “How can you take care of us if you can’t take care of yourself?” She was saying that if I kept going without some time to rest my mind, spirit and body, I wouldn’t be much good to anyone. That was a good point, and made it easier to take a vacation.
We’ll be back on the road tomorrow, after a final breakfast at La Vista Plantation, headed toward the familiar sights and sounds of home. It will be good to be back, but I will miss this time. Still, I’m glad I was able to spend some quality time with my family, visiting some sites that were important to me, and get some rest.
But what it best about this trip is that I feel that I have grown closer to the Lord. He has helped me in the ways that I needed help, He has spoken the words to me that I needed to hear both for comfort and guidance. And through this trip, He has helped me to grow in my knowledge of the Scriptures.
If it is the Lord’s will, perhaps we will visit here once again in the spring, and bring some friends or family with us. For now, though, it’s one more night in our “home away from home” in the beautiful countryside of Virginia, and prayers for a safe journey ahead. I would encourage you to take some time, whether it’s a week, a day, or just an hour, and spend it with the Lord. Read a little of His Word, take a walk away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, enjoy the scenes of God’s creation, and just turn your mind and heart toward Him. I assure you that you’ll be glad you did.
© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.
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