WHAT DOES VACATION MEAN TO YOU?

WHAT DOES VACATION MEAN TO YOU?

 

This writing will come out around the 1^st of July and July is the most common month for vacation in many countries. As a pensioner I can choose vacation at any time, but I am a pensioner working 6-8 hours a day for the Lord and I therefore need some days off sometimes.

Some people look forward to a vacation almost for a year while others find a vacation a difficult time. They might not have the money to do something exiting or to go far away. Some children find it difficult to stay away from school for several weeks. When they come back to school, the other students might talk a lot about their experiences during their vacation, and some will feel ashamed or left out. Salvation Army sends me a request every summer to support some poor children for a nice vacation. There are many Christian and non-Christian organizations arranging camps for children and young people. I remember that I attended Christian camps when I was young. I was saved as a child, but many renewed their wows to Jesus on these camps. It is good for children and young people to be together with people in the same age-group sharing the same faith in Christ. Maybe they are quite lonely as Christian in their school or among friends. These camps are also offering many nice activities that are arranged especially for their age-group.

Some camping grounds are also used for elderly people that want to share their faith with the same age-group. They do not need to cook but get a good meal. They will also get spiritually revived.

I have a Christian newspaper, and I read about conferences all over the country the entire summer. Many of them are open for all age-groups. Some are returning to the same conference year after year. They are not only attending meetings, but they get friends and some for a lifetime. I believe that we Christians need each other. None of us are called to live in isolation. The Bible says that we belong to a Body and a body has many members. The Bible is also saying that each person has a spirit, soul and body. We need to take care of all three parts. Camps and conferences will often offer something for all three parts.

        A vacation should create joy and be useful for the entire human being.    

Some people look forward for a vacation hoping they could do something that they haven’t had time to do before. Some people actually like to paint their house or repair the fence. Maybe they work in front of a screen during the year and they appreciate to use their body for something useful during their vacation. Others like to hike in the mountains. One can use the body at the same time as they enjoy nature. Others choose to be close to the water either in their own country or far away. When you visit another country, you will also get some cultural experiences that are different from your own country. I love to travel, but everybody can’t afford that. It is much more expensive to fly this year.

Family and friends might not live so close to each other these days. Vacation time might be the ideal time to meet. They might visit each other or choose to be on holiday together. If the relationship isn’t so positive, these times might feel far away from a vacation. Maybe you should seek some help with the problems before the vacation. We are often saying that a vacation should be a time to charge the batteries. If you are afraid of spending too long time with someone, you will lose energy instead of gaining energy.

Some people do not want to have too many plans during vacation. They want to be free to do what they want day by day. I am sometimes happy to get some days when I can make order in things that I have wanted to do for a long time. If I do not get it done, it will stress me.

We must not forget that we are spirit, soul and body and all three parts need to be satisfied during a vacation. That means that we should not take vacation away from God or stop reading the Bible or pray. Your body needs to move, and your soul might be hungry for some experiences you can live on for the rest of the year. I remember when I was in India, I had a chance to attend a fantastic concert. I was together with another woman, and she said that this was like fresh water in a desert. Our soul needs to be satisfied.

Some think of vacation as a time when you take some favourite books and sit reading either in the forest or close to a lake. Others think of vacation as a time when you turn off the alarm clock and can get up when you desire and go to bed when you want. I am a pensioner and I want to make my own decisions about getting up and when to go to bed.

Your life-situation will influence how you plan your vacation. If you are single or married or having a big family. The more people, the more to think about.

FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY AND INCLUDE GOD IN YOUR PLANS FOR YOUR VACATION!

BLESSED SUMMER!

Mother Else